Revised
by Aeoliana
Summary: Did DiaLover make your brain cells die when you first watched it? Have no fear, for all twelve episodes have been painstakingly rewritten with a character you can actually relate to. It's like doctored cake mix. (Rated for profanity)
1. Stranger in a Stranger Place

**A/N:** Hello and welcome to my very first fanfic ^o^

Before we embark on the story, I feel I must clarify my reasons for writing this piece in order to avoid unnecessary confusion.

"Revised" is essentially a complete revamp of Diabolik Lovers which initially seemed to have a lot of potential as a dark romance. The premise and the animation were intriguing but the plot quickly descended into something truly horrific (and not in the good sense). Stunned by the periodic glorification of rape and the abusive nature of the characters, I felt thoroughly disgusted and disappointed. Furthermore, the cringe-worthy script failed to do justice to the characters by butchering any perceivable development in the last episode...

In any case, I decided to rewrite the anime for fellow victims - anyone who felt the same way - after I realized that deleting a few simple gestures or adding a little more insight made the story _so much better_. My imagination started playing with characters who'd act more realistically and, voila, this was born.

I hope you enjoy the tweaks and additions I've made to this "revised" version. I took a lot of liberties with the source material and ended up having a lot of fun.

As one final disclaimer: **I attempted to preserve as much of the canon content as possible.** This work is not meant to plagiarize although it may follow the original script very closely due to the very nature of it's purpose. Conversely, there are many instances where the cast may act a tad OOC.

P.S. I'm taking the Ayato arc because he's the only one who bothered to spend some "quality" time with the female lead _whose name has changed along with her personality__._ I chose "Yuuki" to replace "Yui" as a way of poking fun at the spineless original since Yuuki means "courage" in Japanese. Essentially, the new protagonist looks the same but acts differently from her canon counterpart. Thus, I do not consider her to be a true OC. (Please note that this alteration is not meant to be a reference to Vampire Knights.)

* * *

><p><strong>Revised<strong>

Yuuki stood outside those dark iron gates, paralyzed with awe. The house – If it could even be called such a homely title – was absolutely stunning. She felt positively dwarfed by the massive structure from a distance. Her reverent discomfort was further aggravated by her own shortness... Not that an extra inch or two would make any difference to the building.

_Is this even the right place?_ Yuuki thought when she had hopped off the black taxi that brought her to this remote location.

A quick glance at her new cellphone assured her that yes, this was indeed the correct address. She nervously clutched the gadget, willing it to grant her a little bit of the happiness that she had experienced when she received it. It was her father's parting gift to her so that they could keep in touch while he was abroad. Strange, how she grew up with such a simple father who still spoiled her silly.

Such luxuries were not very common in her life since they were neither rich nor tightfisted. They rarely kept anything that could benefit somebody else. So the fact that she would now stay in such a hauntingly beautiful mansion completely flew over head.

By the time she came to her senses, the evening clouds had darkened considerably. Yuuki shook off her initial shyness, shouldered her simple leather bag, and walked into the property with her small battered suitcase rolling behind her just as the heavens above started to release its load.

"Oh, just my luck."

The petite blonde quickened her pace and took shelter underneath the front patio before she could soak. She rapped the front door with a large, old-fashioned knocker since there were no bells to be seen.

"_Hello_?" She waited for an adequately polite period of time before trying again.

The weather was steadily getting worse and the lack of an answer made her fidgety. She needed to get away from the moisture in the air – it made her hair curly and she wanted to make a good impression.

Yuuki tried the knob and it turned out to be unlocked. She suppressed a wry smile before closing her eyes and inhaling deeply to brace herself.

_Sometimes you just gotta do what you gotta do._

She pushed open the door as she released the breath, knowing full well that she was blatantly disregarding any sense of common etiquette. Her hosts would simply have to overlook her momentary lapse in manners.

What was their name again? _Saka__?_ Saka-something.

"Please excuse my intrusion." Yuuki called out as she invited herself in. "Um... Is anyone there?"

Nobody in sight. She pondered the unlikely possibility that they hadn't been informed about her arrival. Concern faintly began to materialize in the back of her mind before her surroundings distracted her.

Yuuki's jaw dropped when she saw the crystal chandelier hanging above a staircase that elegantly wrapped around the center of the hall. Who knew that a light fixture could knock the wind out of you? She hardly cared for such gaudy displays of wealth but the entrance itself was a stellar work of art worthy of appreciation. And Lord knows that she fully appreciated.

Thunder rumbled lightly in the background when Yuuki finally noticed someone laying unconscious on a sofa to her right.

She assumed that he was around her age and, guessing by his careless attire, a resident. Nobody else would ever have the guts to nap with their mouths open in such an unbecoming manner when surrounded by such grandeur... Did he just snore? She stifled a giggle and approached him.

If she was the type of person to notice – and then be perfectly honest with herself – he was kind of handsome. Like, one of those blessed people who could sleep and sneeze and cry and still look good doing it. But that sorta detail hardly mattered to her.

"Excuse me," the girl gently declared, her voice just loud enough to be heard over the pitter-patter of the rain drops hitting the window.

The teenager made no response. Yuuki lightly touched his hand to wake him and pulled away reflexively with a gasp.

"He's cold!" She grabbed his wrist and checked for a pulse... which wasn't there.

_Wait, wait, wait, this can NOT be happening!_

"Are you okay?!" Yuuki cried out, dropping her things onto the floor in a panic. She frantically pat his icy cheek a couple times. "Hey, answer me! Oh my gosh, I better call an ambulance."

The girl fumbled through the front pocket of her discarded bag. She procured her cell and started to dial the emergency call number before a set of pale fingers snatched it away from her. With a yelp, Yuuki looked up to see that the boy had finally stirred.

"Shut up," he grumbled, irritation etched in his face.

"You're – you're alive!"

"Duh." He ran a hand through his unruly mop of dark reddish-brown hair and yawned expansively. She instinctively flinched at the sight of his pearly white... fangs?

"But I thought -"

"That it was perfectly acceptable to start molesting people when they're asleep?"

Yuuki's face grew cherry red with embarrassment.

"Of course not! I was just trying to wake you. Sorry for being _mildly_ concerned," the female hotly retorted.

The boy smirked arrogantly at her response, making her heart skip a beat. Somehow, he seemed to take notice of her _totally inexplicable_ reaction.

"Are you sure about that? You weren't just drawn in by my devilishly good looks, right?"

"God _no_! Have you no shame?"

"_Oh yeah_," he drawled in an attempt to annoy the strange girl further. His vivid green eyes twinkled with amusement. "So _I'm_ the shameless one here? You know, you're the one entering my house without permission. Trespassing was a crime, the last time I checked."

Guilty as charged. She wanted to deny it and apologize and hide in a corner all at once – anything but gape at this guy who was obviously trying to pick a fight.

_Don't tell me that this CONCEITED child is a cousin of mine._ Yuuki thought, mortified. So much for good impressions.

"Ayato, what's with this commotion?"

The interruption wiped the lopsided grin off the boy's face.

"I don't know, Reiji." Ayato answered with a scowl. "Some random chick barged in here and we ended up having a chat."

"Well, this isn't a place to be greeting our guests, is it?"

"Tch."

Yuuki thanked her stars for the intervention used the opportunity to regain her composure.

Reiji turned towards the girl who stood up to face him and examined her with scrutinizing bespectacled eyes. At six feet, he overshadowed her with a grand total of ten inches. She looked somewhat like a porcelain doll next to him.

"And you are?"

"My name is Komori Yuuki. I, uhh-" She looked at the young man in front of her and wondered who he was exactly. His stiff posture, butler-like attire, and cultured aura suggested that he was some sort of high-class servant... _Maybe_? Better stay on the safe side. "I was invited to live here with my relatives."

The older male gave her a curt nod. "There are many people who stay within the premises of our estate as full-time staff. Who exactly may your relatives be? If you could just give me their names, that would be sufficient."

"Oh no, I haven't actually met them yet." Yuuki replied shyly, still unable to recall the surname of her new family members. "And you seem to be mistaken, sir. They're supposed to be the owners of this house – not servants."

He looked at her sharply. "I haven't heard anything about this."

"Huh? Then there must have been some sort of misunderstanding."

The girl noticed his thin lips twitch downward. He seemed too chivalrous to let the displeasure show on his countenance for longer than a fleeting moment.

"If there is a misunderstanding, miss, I can assure you that it was not from our end."

"But this is definitely the address my father gave me." Yuuki insisted.

Reiji regarded Ayato in a way that almost resembled a glare. "I demand an explanation."

"How the hell should I know?" Ayato answered, miffed. "There's no way a mere girl like that could be... y'know."

_Are you calling me a lowly peasant?_

"For now," the young man conceded, slicking back his purplish-black bangs as he adjusted his glasses, "let's take this discussion elsewhere. Follow me."

"Okay." Yuuki answered quietly, her irritation withering away immediately.

Here she was, causing these people trouble. _Of course_ she was willing to help them untangle this mess.

"See to her luggage." Reiji told a manservant that appeared from nowhere, scaring the living daylight out of an unsuspecting Yuuki. The young man was kind enough to ignore the tiny squeal that escaped her. Ayato, on the other hand, snorted under his breath as he followed behind them.

Seems like ponyboy decided to tag along.

Once settled comfortably in the salon, Reiji asked Yuuki to fully explain her version of events. Before she could even open her mouth, they were interrupted by the arrival of a dude wearing a fedora and a fur-trimmed jacket.

"Oh my," the new character exclaimed, sending a seductive smile down to Yuuki from the staircase railing. He carried himself with the same level of irksome self-confidence as Ayato. In fact, the two boys closely resembled each other – Ayato's hair was just a tad shorter and less groomed. "What's such a cute little girl doing here?"

"I-" Yuuki started to respond.

"Mmm, and you smell nice too," the dude mused, suddenly by her side, a little too close for comfort. Another younger-looking, sleep-deprived boy simultaneously appeared behind her. To say the least, Yuuki was baffled.

"Let me have a turn," the second one whined, hugging a teddy bear. He had dyed his hair a light purple and wore matching contact lenses. The color was far too unusual to be natural.

Sometimes, people thought her platinum-golden blonde locks and glistening sorbet eyes were fake until she explained that she was born with them. According to the doctors, she had some sort of ocular albinism that didn't really affect her vision. Most usually didn't believe her because the idea of pink pupils was so outlandish. She couldn't really blame them.

"Don't you two think you're being impolite to a lady you've just met?" Reiji chided, catching the immediate attention of the duo. "Especially you, Laito."

"But everyone wants to play with a new toy. Don't you agree, Kanato?" Laito said to the purple-haired boy, who eagerly nodded in concession.

"Keep your nasty paws outta this, you little slut." Ayato scowled. "I saw her first, so she belongs to me."

"What a child," said another voice belonging to a _true _albino. His silvery, snow-white hair was parted to the right, covering one of his blood red eyes. "_This _is why people think you're the youngest."

"That's cheeky coming from you, Subaru. Didn't your mama teach you to respect your elders?" Ayato jeered in return.

"Stop giving yourself airs." Subaru said venomously, seething with ill-suppressed anger.

Yuuki gawked at the crowd, unsure of how to react. This was just normal banter, right? So why did they seem so hostile to each other?

"What's your problem anyway – got something stuck up your ass again?"

"No," the albino replied with a frown. "It reeked of human."

"_Quiet_, both of you!"

_... Well. This is awkward._

Reiji cleared his throat before asking in a calmer manner, "Has anyone been informed about this lady coming to stay with us?"

"She's probably that one girl he mentioned."

_How many of these guys are there?_ Yuuki thought, turning to eyeball a tall young man laying down on a plush chaise.

When she saw his distinctly non-Asian features, she felt a sense of relief fill her heart. Yes, these guys might just be her long-lost family members. As strange as they were, she felt happy to find them.

"Shu," the stiffest of the batch spat accusingly. "Do you know anything about this girl?"

"Maybe." Shu replied lazily, resting his palm on his curly blonde hair. It was a richer, darker color than her own.

Evidently, Reiji didn't find the answer satisfactory. "I'd like a proper explanation."

Shu closed his clear sky blue eyes and sighed. "That one guy called the other day. He said to treat the guest from the church with respect."

"Eh, so flat-chest here is the prospective bride?" Ayato scoffed in disappointment.

"Flat chest?!" Yuuki cried out.

_... Bride?_

"Ah, so that's all this was?" Laito stated with casual blandness.

"What a scrawny little thing they sent this time." Kanato observed in an equally uninterested tone, fingering the eye patch of his teddy bear. "More like a sacrifice than a bride."

"Oh yeah," Shu added as an afterthought. "He told us not to kill her this time."

"Huh?! What is that supposed to mean?" Yuuki posed, her tone both horrified and confused.

The group of supermodel-material looked at her in a solemn silence.

"Well," Reiji offered with a click of his tongue. "It looks like you've come to the right place. Let me do the introductions."

Yuuki listened attentively although a nagging suspicion that she couldn't quite pin down continued to lurk in her mind.

"That is the eldest, Shu. He is the current master of this estate. I am Reiji. You may come to me if you have any questions. These three troublemakers are Laito, Kanato and Ayato. He is Subaru. We are the six sons of the Sakamaki household."

"_Sakamaki_! That was it!" Yuuki blurted excitedly before blushing profusely. "Oh, um, sorry for cutting you short..."

"Not at all." Reiji said bitterly. The others seemed to find her lack of decorum amusing.

At their expectant gazes, she shyly mumbled, "I'm Komori Yuuki. Pleased to make your acquaintance."

Kanato pouted. "Liar."

A sting of shock ran up her spine at the sudden accusation. "Wh-what do you mean?"

"You don't look very pleased."

"Ah, no, it's just that something's still a little off about this situation." Yuuki explained, leisurely running her hand up and down her arm.

_No offense, but you're all kind of weird._

"Oh, you won't be needing this anytime soon, right?" Ayato asked teasingly as he flipped out her confiscated cellphone.

"My phone! Give it back." Yuuki cried out, jumping up to reclaim her belonging but he kept it far away from her reach.

The boy became increasingly amused at how easily he kept the bait at bay. The girl became increasingly flustered at her many failed attempts to retrieve it.

"Haha, you're far too cruel to her." Laito clapped at the spectacle, positively tickled by his brothers antics.

Irritated, Subaru stole the gadget out of Ayato's hands.

Nearly tumbling over the prankster, Yuuki grabbed hold of the arms of his chair to steady herself. Ayato smiled, flashing his abnormally long canines at her. One day, she was going to smack that smug look right off his gorgeous face for humiliating her so.

Breathless, she looked up and stretched out her open palm to the youngest brother.

"I-I need to contact my father."

"Well, too bad." Subaru stated unsympathetically, crushing the cell with his bare fist.

"Wha-what the hell is wrong with you people!?" Yuuki shouted in horror as she watched the utterly destroyed pieces of metal and glass fall to the ground. She could not comprehend that _anyone _could be so rude and disrespectful towards another person's possessions. Any earlier lapse in her own behavior paled in comparison.

"You don't need that silly old thing." Kanato chided, once again appearing beside her. "Why would you talk to people far away when we're right here?"

"Exactly. You're going to become good friends with us," Laito flirtatiously added.

He attempted to peck Yuuki on the cheek to prove their closeness in proximity. She squeaked and moved away in disgusted shock, tripping on a leg of the coffee table in the process.

"Ouch." The petite blonde sat up and glanced at the fresh scrapes on her elbow and knee. Really, now. This was completely uncalled for.

Once she got over the initial sting, Yuuki felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up straight.

The atmosphere had tensed in that brief moment. All eyes were on her.

When Yuuki slowly turned to look at the others, she saw them as the hungry vampires they truly were. She screamed.


	2. The Hunt

"Stay away from me!" Yuuki shrieked, nearly tearing off her necklace as she brandished the silver cross like a weapon. A few of the vampires only laughed at her.

"Do you really believe that we'd be vulnerable to things like that?" Reiji mocked. "Those superstitions have been born out of ignorance. Fairy tales written by obnoxious mortals."

Yuuki didn't stick around to hear his condescending explanation – her primal instincts kicked in and she dashed out of the room fearing for her life. She made a mad scramble to the main entrance. Vampires appeared around every corner to frighten her further.

"I'll break you." Kanato said with a sadistic smile while squeezing his bear.

_I won't let you get close enough!_ Yuuki thought as she fled.

"Where are you running off to?" Laito asked, amused.

_You don't need to find out. _Adrenaline pulsed through her veins as she hastened her pace.

She spotted a phone, but the cord was cut when she picked it up to call for help. She didn't dawdle around any longer and bolted straight for the front door.

"Why isn't this thing opening?!" Yuuki cried, desperately pushing and pulling the handle. An arm slammed against the door, trapping Yuuki.

"Isn't it about time you scream? A proper, blood-curling one this time." Ayato purred. "Humor me."

"Get off!" She swatted him away and sprinted up the nearest set of stairs. His laughter followed her.

_I'll just jump out a window if that's the only way out. Where's a damn balcony in this stupidly luxurious mansion when you need one?_

A winding corridor led to another one. She didn't care which direction she went as long as it was far, far away from those... Oh my god, did vampires really exist? Wait, no, this was no time to be questioning what was going on.

The terrified girl entered a room, not noticing the broken lock that had fallen off of the gaping door. Most of the furniture in there were covered with white sheets. She rushed towards the window, believing it to be a possible escape route, and instead found a handsome lady standing on the balcony facing away from her. When the lady turned around to acknowledge the intruder, Yuuki's chest began to constrict painfully. The petite blonde gasped as she fell backward against the bookcase and onto the floor.

Without warning, the woman disappeared into thin air and Yuuki's cramping subsided.

Keenly aware that she had not a second to lose, the petite blonde willed herself to get up. Her steadying hand landed on top of a book that had tumbled out the shelves and when Yuuki glanced at it, she found a photograph of herself sticking out of the pages.

"This is me! What's my father's diary doing in a place like this?" Yuuki exclaimed as she recognized the baby in the arms of a gentle-faced priest. He was the man who had adopted her after her birth parents had passed away while she still an infant.

Although Yuuki didn't have time to waste, she gave the open page a quick glance. "_... This child means everything to me... I am blessed by all the happiness Yuuki brings into my life..._"

A voice interrupted her reading. "Out of all the rooms you chose this one."

Yuuki could feel a drop of sweat run down her back as she looked up to see that all the vampires had joined her company._  
><em>

"And it was sealed off too. I wonder how you weaseled yourself in." Laito stated.

"Be good and stay still," Kanato giggled as he stood before her. "You're my prey."

"I am _not_!" Yuuki retorted angrily, eyes searching for an escape route. Shu and Subaru were guarding the door while Ayato sat in front of the window on a table. Fabulous pieces of jewelry lay on it, neglected for God knows how long.

"Futile." Reiji commented, glaring down at her. "There's only one thing you need to comprehend - you cannot ever escape from us."

"Tch, just get to the point..." Subaru added, annoyed. As if he had the _right_ to be annoyed. "You're dead meat if you even think about it."

"Come on, there's no need to scare her." Laito said casually as he knelt next to the girl.

"Shut up," was the albino's curt reply.

The weight of Subaru's threat crashed down upon her. These guys were killers. And she was at their mercy.

Yuuki's defiant expression changed to one of fear and hopelessness. Ayato's hands cupped her face and turned it towards him.

"That's the look. It totally turns me on." Ayato cooed, leaning in to bite Yuuki's neck while she struggled in vain against him and Laito.

_CRASH!_

They all turned to see that a dusty mirror had been knocked over. Yuuki had never been more grateful for shattered glass in her life.

"My bad." Shu offered before walking away. The offending sound, however, effectively stopped the vampires from completing their intended action...

At least for the moment.

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><p><strong>AN:** By the way, the chapters are broken up loosely into scenes - not episodes.

**EDIT:** This chapter has been changed as of 1/20/2015 to mend a plot discrepancy regarding Yui's past and the ages of the vampires during certain key events. Although much of Diabolik Lovers' canon content has always conflicted due to the nature of the games and the divergent anime adaptation, they usually never caused a major problem during my revision. I tend to spend hours researching and analyzing the DiaLover universe before typing anything in order to ensure that these fanfictions truly surpass the canon. Therefore, I am ashamed to admit that I have only_ recently_ recognized this particular inconsistency within the original creator's story. After consulting with some fans, I've come to the conclusion that I simply need to come up with my own background story and have decided to fix any mentions of Yuuki's previous life.


	3. Adjustment

Yuuki woke up in a large and comfortable bed. She blinked up at the unfamiliar canopy with confusion.

The memories of what happened before she'd blacked out came back to her and she sat up abruptly. A hand flew up to her neck and she was relieved to find that she hadn't been bitten. Yuuki gradually became aware of her surroundings. She was in an airy chamber with very few, albeit extravagant, pieces of furniture. Her hand fluttered down her pale throat, meeting the neckline of her clothes. Yuuki looked down at herself and found that she was wearing a frilly and elegant nightgown.

"Eh?! I don't remember changing!" She covered her chest with her arms reflexively at the realization and blushed.

_It better have not been one of those perverted vampires!_

"I think you look pretty sexy in that negligee." Laito said, announcing his presence at the foot of her bed. "And you smell amazing. Are you trying to seduce me, Little Bitch?

"Uh, I'm – _what did you just call me_? Why are you moving closer, you freak?!"

Suddenly, Ayato appeared and proceeded to push Laito away from her.

"Don't touch what's mine without permission."

"Aww, don't be so rough, Ayato."

"Shaddup!"

From the brothers' banter, Yuuki registered an important detail that would serve her well.

_Wait a minute. Ayato's protecting me from harassment?_

Yuuki lowered the pillow that she was using as a shield to assume a thoughtful pose, tuning out the wrestling match that was taking place in front of her.

_So... if I submit to one of the__m__, will the others leave me alone?_

It wasn't a very pleasant idea but she wanted to know all of her options. Survival was key. A dead girl couldn't escape from a gang of predators after all.

"Aren't you lot going to be late?"

_Where are these guys coming from?_

Mystified, Yuuki turned to gape at her third visitor.

"Not again, Reiji." Ayato complained, still breathing hard from the skirmish.

"Yea, and we were just getting to the fun part." Laito lamented as he combed his shoulder-length hair back down with his fingers.

Reiji ignored the younger brothers and scowled at her. "Please hurry up and change, Miss Komori."

"Eh?" Yuuki burped, profoundly confuzzled. "For what?"

"You'll be attending school with us." Reiji gestured towards a uniform set laid out for her on the vanity. "I had that prepared due to a special request. Normally, we don't let our prey out of the estate so be grateful for our generosity."

"Wait_... __Right now_?" It was clearly night time.

"You're going to have to adjust with our lifestyle," he said in a tone that made it seem like it should be self-explanatory. Reiji opened the door. "If you have a problem with that, feel free to leave."

_Pfft, yeah right. You guys were the ones who said that I'd be killed if I try to leave._

She glared at the set of clothes from a distance.

_ And I have to actually attend school with these bastards? As if my life could get any_ worse. Yuuki exhaled and fiddled with her finger nails._ Well, maybe I can find a way to contact my father if I go._

When she looked up again, the group had disappeared. Yuuki slid out of her bed and peeked out the door experimentally.

"Yo!" Ayato greeted her from outside. "What, you haven't changed yet?"

_Uhh..._

"I can help you with that," he added smugly.

"NO THANKS!" Yuuki slammed the door shut and sighed tiredly against it.

_It's bad enough that you saw me in my pajamas!_

The petite blonde pressed her palms against her temples and pulled them back along her skull, pushing rebellious strands of hair out of her face. Shrugging off of the door, Yuuki decided to explore her new surroundings, starting with the wardrobe in the corner. Her suitcase had been rolled up against it and she made a mental note to unpack. So when she opened the wardrobe, she was surprised to see her few belongings already organized neatly inside.

_Who-? Ohh. Those servants are really good at their job._

She shuffled through the clothes that were hanging up and came across a few unfamiliar ones.

_Um. These aren't mine. I didn't bring so many things with me... I wonder where they came from._

Correctly guessing that they were now hers to use as she pleased, Yuuki began to look through the drawers and located her intimates and accessories. She was impressed with the skill that they had been put away.

She dawdled over to vanity and quickly slipped on her new uniform.

The outfit consisted of a well-tailored, black and red school blazer with a matching, deep V-neck vest over a white dress shirt. The button-down had a tasteful amount of frills near the collar. A white bow peeked out over the vest and she tied a red bow around her neck above the larger white one. The black uniform skirt landed right above her knees, layered with a white petticoat underneath. She paired it with black, knee-high socks and brown dress shoes.

Yuuki stood next to the foot of the bed to examine herself in the vanity's mirror. She almost smiled at the reflection.

_At least it's cute._

The girl nearly jumped out of her skin when Ayato cracked open the door to ask, "What's taking so long?"

"Oh my god!" Yuuki shrieked. "Ayato! Do you not understand the concept of privacy? What if I wasn't wearing anything?"

"Should've locked the door," he replied with a wink. The pervert didn't even bother to hide his smirk.

_Well, you do have a point there, mister._ Yuuki admitted internally. Mortified, she pointed at the corridor with a growl.

"Leave."

"Leaving."

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** This chapter is bite-sized for your improved digestion.


	4. Skipping Class

_They even have a god-forsaken family LIMO! Ugh..._ Yuuki griped to herself as she sat inside the luxury vehicle.

She folded her hands daintily on top of her lap and made as herself as nondescript as possible. Her meek posture didn't stop her from complaining loudly inside her head. Somehow, it made the silence of the group even more unnerving.

_Aren't all these guys brothers, anyhoo? They don't seem to get along._

Ayato interrupted her bitter thoughts with a cheery, "What's on your mind, flat-chest?"

_This brat is the only one who even pays any attention to me. _She bit her bottom lip in frustration_. Which, I guess, isn't a total negative._

"I have a name you know. It's Komori Yuuki."

"I can call you whatever I want. Your say in the matter doesn't even add up to a grain of salt, _flat-chest._"

_Sigh. Nope, it's definitely a negative._

"How many times do I have to tell you to mind your manners, Ayato?"

"Tch. Busybody Reiji." Ayato mumbled, turning away his chin to look out the window. Her gaze lingered on his jawline.

_If he wasn't a complete idiot, I'd think he was swoon-worthy... _

The butler-like brother pointed out a juice box. "That is for you."

"Huh? Oh," she faltered as she picked it up. "Thank you very much."

_Maybe I was wrong about this guy instead?_ Yuuki wondered as she poked a hole into the top corner with the straw.

"No need to thank me. Cranberry juice is simply good for weak blood." His glasses gleamed dangerously. "We cannot afford to have our prey fainting with each feeding. Please be aware of your own health so that you avoid inconveniencing us."

Yuuki sniffled in annoyance that her second prediction also proved wrong. She was _trying_ to look at silver linings here. But no~ These guys just _had_ to reinforce the fact that they were dickheads with each passing comment. Yuuki pouted at the drink with stubborn irritation but her body would not stop quaking.

"Look, Teddy, she's shivering. Mortals do that when they're scared." Kanato crooned to his stuffed toy. "It's so pathetic that it's funny, so take a good look."

"You're in the same class as Kanato and Ayato."

"Too bad I'm in the advanced class." Laito piped in, interrupting the second eldest son's explanation. "I'd rather be with you, Little Bitch."

The petite blonde rolled her eyes and ignored him.

"Don't try anything reckless." Reiji warned.

"..."

"Do you understand?"

"Yes." Yuuki answered quietly.

* * *

><p><em>Uwaah! This is no high school. It's an effing PALACE. These nocturnal rich kids...<em>

Yuuki entered the classroom and found Ayato already slumped over his desk. No wonder Laito was evidently doing better in school - the youngest triplet didn't even try.

Little did she know, Ayato slept through his classes because he already had mastered all the material when he was young and was bored out of his wits. Not because he was an idiotic delinquent. He never bothered moving to the advanced group since firstly, the extra work was a pain and secondly, Kanato would be lonely if he did.

Speaking of the middle triplet, Kanato clearly had his own special circumstances. The rigid curriculum of Laito's class didn't suit the child-like vampire. Case in point - currently, he was playing with Teddy before suddenly bubbling up with a fitful of giggles.

_An inside joke, maybe? He seems a little harmless at the moment - but I know better than that. _

She looked around the otherwise empty room.

_Where are the rest of my classmates? Oh, the board!_

"It's food prep," the girl stated matter-of-factly.

_Totally gonna ace this class._

"Food prep?" Ayato repeated, sitting up with renewed energy. He jumped out of his seat and whirled around with the ease of a cat.

Weary of the growing grin on his face, Yuuki took a step back.

"Where the hell are you going?" Ayato asked her, grabbing her by the wrist on his way out the door.

The vampire proceeded to drag her into a kitchen nearby too opulent for Yuuki to seriously believe that it used was for something as mundane as cooking.

"Oi!" He waved his hand expressively in front of her nose to catch her attention. "You listening to me?"

"Huh? Oh yeah." She nodded in affirmation. "I was."

_Was not._

_"_Oh really?" Crossed arms were always a bad sign. "What was I talking about?"

"... Strawberry shortcake?"

Apparently that was the correct answer because Ayato immediately became animated once again. Unfortunately, his excitement was not contagious.

"Make me the best one in the world!"

_No pressure, bro. What defines "best" exactly?_

"Vampires eat normal food?" Yuuki asked aloud.

"Duh. We only need to feed on humans occasionally."

Her expression was equally skeptical as it was cautious. "What about class?"

"Who gives a damn? Nobody will notice if the new girl is missing anyway."

_Sigh. I know how to make it, so I guess I better play along._

"I'll help you out. So be grateful." Ayato said arrogantly as she started measuring out the ingredients while the oven pre-heated.

"Mm, can you find me the electric whisker?"

"Here, give it to me," he demanded, taking the mixing bowl from her to whisk it by hand.

_Whoa, he's fast. This is turning out better than with a machine!__  
><em>

Yuuki left him to his devices as she began to prep the pan with a stick of butter.

"How long will it take to bake?" Ayato inquired as she poured the thick batter with his help.

"At least half an hour, and then we need to decorate."

"Guess I can wait."

"Let's clean up a little in the meanwhile."

The duo washed the dishes side-by-side, awkwardly in each other's elbow space, until Ayato shooed her off and finished it by himself. She settled for drying the utensils and setting them on the ridiculously expensive-looking racks. The oven beeped happily a moment after they finished.

"Okay, now we have to chill this for fifteen minutes while we prepare the icing."

"Does it really have to take so long, flat-chest?"

"Stop calling me that. I do have a chest, you know."

"_Ohh_? You want me to confirm it myself?"

"Don't be a pervert."

"Then should I call you hotcake?"

"Why hotcake?"

"Because you're not so bad on the eyes, pipsqueak."

"No thank you." Yuuki retorted as she face-palmed. She accidentally got flour on her bangs and he chuckled as he flicked it off for her.

"Alright, then I'll settle for pancake."

"Should I even ask?"

"Because they describe your flat chest."

Yuuki swatted the vampire on the head. "That's for being naughty. Choose something nice."

Ayato laughed. "Then strawberry."

"Hmm? That's different."

"This," Ayato shoved a strawberry just a few inches from her face for emphasis, "is the same color as your eyes. It's tart, like you, but also undeniably sweet."

Yuuki flushed and stole a bite from the fruit in order to hide her embarrassment. "I think we can stick with pancake for now."

They finished decorating in companionable silence.

_Maybe he's not all that bad. _Yuuki amended as she cut a large slice of cake for him, glancing at the vampire through her peripheral vision.

"Yum," the boy proclaimed as she set aside a piece for Kanato. There was no way the two of them could clear off an entire cake by themselves.

Although technically Ayato did have the stomach to consume the whole platter as a growing youth, he intended to turn in a slice to the teacher after they were done. With that, his participation for the week would be clear... Bringing this girl to school was a great idea.

"Here, you have some too."

He offered her a bite from his own fork but Yuuki hesitated.

"What's the matter?" Ayato taunted, wagging the fork around in front of her mouth. His eyes were lit up as if it was a dare.

Despite her increasing exasperation, she accepted it with a jerky motion.

_He's doing this on purpose, isn't he?_

"Huh? Why are your ears pink?"

He tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear with his free hand, making Yuuki slightly gasp. Ayato smirked at her reaction, and for the first time, she found it incredibly charming.

_God._ _I envy those lashes..._ Yuuki thought absently, frozen in place by his mesmerizing gaze.

A strange impulse overcame him, and the vampire boldly kissed the girl on the nose. She pulled back with a jolt.

"Wh-what was th-tha-that for?"

Ayato licked his fork thoughtfully. "You had some sugar on your face."

"Oh, look at the time!" Yuuki blurted out in an effort to change the subject. The world started spinning again. "We should clean up... Ayato, you help me too,"

Ayato ignored her and instead rocked back and forth on his chair. She snickered internally.

_What an eight year old..._

"Hey, Aya-"

Her sentence cut off abruptly when he appeared right behind her.

Caught off guard, the petite blonde pivoted to face him. Ayato slowly began to lean over, pressing her smaller body against the counter-top. In retaliation, Yuuki shut her eyes, grabbed the closest thing she could find, and smashed it on the vampire's head.

Turns out the nearest thing was an egg.

Ayato's eyes were wide open in shock for a good few seconds. Yuuki looked up and stifled a giggle at the sight of a vampire with yolk all over his hair. The scene was harmlessly disarming. Before it could start goop-ing down, she reached up and pulled him toward her spot.

"Here, let me help you wash that off," she half-apologized, secretly smiling to herself as she did so. The second the task was finished, Ayato turned on her once again.

"That deserves punishment," he sneered, making Yuuki inhale sharply and back away again. The atmosphere quickly turned tense.

She felt like such an idiot for letting her guard down.

_Didn't Reiji just tell me that I was their prey?_

"I've been holding it in since yesterday. Let me drink your blood."

"Please. Don't." Yuuki pleaded as he gently moved her chin away to expose her neck.

"Your skin looks mouthwatering without any fang marks. I'll be your first." His cold finger running down her skin made her shiver.

The vampire bit into her but she put up little resistance. She blamed it on the fact that his hair was ticklish, especially when wet.

"Delicious. Even better than the cake, dammit." Ayato murmured in awe, pulling back for a second to admire her. "I like this."

He resumed his feeding, his tongue performing a lazy dance on the side of her neck. A small mewl escaped her lips.

Yuuki's brain was on overdrive. It took considerable mental effort to forcefully compel her mind to classify the current events as pain and not pleasure. Everything about the activity made her dizzy, especially the loss of so much blood. Yuuki grabbed fistfuls of Ayato's clothes in order to steady herself, inadvertently hugging him. It was _torture._

Tears started to form in her eyes when Yuuki finally pulled away. "Let me go!"

"Idiot. If you do that it'll obviously hurt more." A line of scarlet dripped down to his chin. "But those tears and that look on your face is the cherry on top."

"Please, stop it." Yuuki protested as Ayato pinned her down again. She felt violated.

"Seriously, you are such a disgrace," a familiar male voice ridiculed.

The water droplets in his hair flew in an angry arc as Ayato turned to face the intruder. "Reiji," he hissed.

"I never imagined you'd do something like this at school. Don't I always tell you to take this kind of activity to your room?"

_So they can attack me without restriction in their own chambers? I better be careful..._ Yuuki thought to herself before passing out quietly.

"Yeah, yeah..." Ayato replied sullenly. He bared his fangs possessively when the older brother glanced at the unconscious human. The message was not unnoticed.

"At least take responsibility and bring that girl home." Reiji commanded before exiting the room.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** According to his character description, takoyaki is supposed to be Ayato's favorite food. Oh well, it's cake now.

I mean, shortcake fits so much more with the setting and the vampires seem to be addicted to sweet things anyway. Takoyaki was so random that I burst out laughing when I first saw it - and they just magically appeared out of nowhere in like, three seconds. Therefore, I wanted to extend the scene where she actually makes the dish for Ayato. And it serves a second purpose because this is technically where we see why Yuuki starts to fall for him.

For the sake of the reader's amusement, Yuuki has developed a habit of secretly badmouthing things that frustrates her. It's at odds with her docile appearance.


	5. Drowning Beautiful

Yuuki regained consciousness on a plush sofa situated beside an indoor pool. Lying on it rather than a proper mattress had left her stiff and sore.

_And will I ever learn why there's a sofa here?_ Yuuki wondered, feeling cranky from the minute she woke up. Sitting up took considerable effort - both physically and in terms of sheer willpower._ Nope. Probably not._

The recent shower of excessive luxury really wasn't good for her mentality. She was plenty stressed out anyway.

With a bitterness still lingering in her mouth, the girl tried to get a crick out of her neck and accidentally incensed her fresh injury instead.

"Ow!" Yuuki yelped. She pressed down on the stinging skin until the sensation died down to a dull throb. Her eyes watered as she swallowed the pain with grit teeth.

_Well, I guess I'm never letting that happen ever again... _Being bitten was not fun.

"You finally up, sleepyhead?"

The petite blonde instinctively moved away when she noticed Ayato. The action secretly displeased the vampire who approached her in equal measures of spite and concern.

"No, don't come near me!" Yuuki pleaded in vain, knowing perfectly well that her body wasn't strong enough to fight back against the supernatural being.

"Tch. You still don't get it."

"Get wha-? WHOA!"

He picked her up bridal-style in one swoop and carried her towards the pool.

"Hey!_ Let me down_!"

Ayato ignored her protests. He had determined that she was worthy of him and would settle for nothing less. He deserved only the best. Why couldn't she see that?

Her brain was scrambling in every direction trying to figure out what was going on as she colorfully cursed him out.

One firm glance from him shut her up. She suddenly became aware of how close his face was, how his arms wrapped around her small frame and how his chest felt against her.

Yuuki acknowledged that she was just going to turn into some useless, paralyzed rabbit whenever Ayato was around. And losing control over one's own limbs was an alarming state to be in.

"You are at my mercy. Stop complaining over every little thing I do!" Ayato barked while proceeding to toss her into the water. The pool devoured Yuuki with one large splash.

She emerged with a gasp, an expression of shock plastered to her face. Normally, this reaction would have been enough for him. However, this particular girl made him feel unnecessarily restless and he had to change that. This _tiny,_ all-too-breakable creature dared to resist him - _him_! - and had the nerve to think she could get away with it. Who the hell was she to deny his desires? Brat.

His ego still felt bruised.

"Now, tell me I'm the best," the vampire ordered. "Tell me that I'm better than everyone else and that you belong to me alone."

"Ayato... I can't... Swim!"

Forget about mustering the energy to get angry at him. This was an emergency. She only had a microsecond to be surprised - and that was when she was sailing through the air.

Now, Yuuki found herself frantically dog-paddling and desperately reaching out to the boy that stood before her blurry vision. Her broken cries for help were tainted with urgency. She swallowed a large volume of liquid with every attempted breath, rendered deaf each time she broke through the bridge between water and air.

The vampire's eyes widened at the sight before him. It reminded him of a time when he himself nearly drowned as a child. Back then, the lady who had been the one to toss him into the lake had just stared at him coldly with a merciless expression... one that he was mirroring now.

Ayato jumped in after her.

Underwater, the boy pulled her up into an embrace. Looking down at the helpless being gently, he pulled her into a kiss.

Yuuki was too stunned to even think, completely caught off guard by his contradictory behavior. Her jaw dropped open and the last of the oxygen bubbles escaped her mouth. Ayato, however, was in no hurry.

He left a trail of kisses on her abused neck, where he had only brought pain upon earlier, before his animal instincts kicked in. He could not resist that bite. A strand of her blood curled out like a wisp of smoke. Not until Ayato realized that she was truly _dying_ did he stop and finally surface with Yuuki.

"You're blood is within me." Ayato stated with crazed eyes, his mind still buzzing from the electrifying taste. "It's overwhelming."

He continued to hug the girl as she coughed and wheezed against him.

"Please. Make it stop."

The four words brought Ayato back to Earth.

"You're hopeless," he said, genuinely smiling as he wrapped his arms tighter around her.

Yuuki was completely dependent on him. Mission accomplished.

"I guess we had enough fun for today..."

Back on solid ground, Ayato tossed her a towel as a token of kindness for his misbehavior. He had bullied her enough for one day.

Yuuki was crumpled on the side of the pool, effectively brain-dead until the terry cloth fell upon her dripping hair. Ayato chewed on the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing at her. She resembled a sopping wet, stray puppy. Her innate charm was so cute that it was almost criminal... Not that Ayato would ever admit it.

Yuuki lightly touched her lips in belated realization of what had transpired. "You stole my first kiss."

Ayato shrugged. "I told you, right? I'll be your first everything," he declared without ceremony as he walked away. "Your first and only."

* * *

><p>Outside the mansion, an older vampire wearing a purple coat stalked the grounds of the vast property. Indoors, Yuuki was unaware of the suspicious man's presence. The girl was busy getting rid of the scent of chlorine off her body.<p>

She was relieved to be alone. It was like breaking out of a spell. Ayato had wasted enough of her time and she had more important things to worry about.

_Seriously, what kind of a person tries to drown you, makes out with you without your consent, and then pretends to be your savior? Ayato, that's who._

Yuuki examined herself in the mirror and discovered that her skin was a bright shade of pink. Flustered, she punched the reflective surface before drying her hair off. Loudly. With a blow dryer. Who gave a damn about heat damage? She was more annoyed with her apparent brain damage.

Finally dressed in dry clothes, Yuuki decided to go retrieve her father's diary and figure out as much as she could. It was her only link to the outside world at the moment. The room wasn't hard to find since Yuuki had a pretty keen memory, although the events that had led her to it's discovery were jumbled and rushed to say the least. She praised herself about her splendid sense of direction. Even when she was being hunted by a pack of _vampires_... Her face felt hot.

_Oh, god. Not again!_

She slapped the side of her neck lightly. Her wounds protested with a small sting.

_Nope. They're just like mosquitoes. Yea, that's all. Stupid little blood suckers._

The image was satisfactorily unattractive.

Yuuki shook her head and browsed through the musty old bookshelf, partially in order to distract herself. She noted that someone had cleaned up afterwards... And she was not going to let the thought veer off topic. It wasn't particularly important to know _who_ had carried her to her new room after she passed out anyway.

_Ah, here it is!_

Her excitement at finding the diary quickly vanished when she opened it.

"How can this be?!" Yuuki wailed, flipping through the now empty pages in horror. "Where did the words go?"

With a dramatic thud, the worn-out book fell from her hand onto the floor. It was all too much. Yuuki dropped next to it and belatedly let out all the feelings that she had been bottling up inside.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** Eh, not many changes in this scene because the Underwater Kiss was pretty well done. Yuuki's behavior will cancel out some other scenes in the future, though.


	6. Manners

_They don't look like their enjoying their dinner._ Yuuki noted coldly to herself at the table, picking at the food on her plate. On most nights, Yuuki ate her meals alone but the vampire family got together every now and then for a shared feast. _They probably take these things for granted._

She didn't really have much of an appetite, despite the fact that all the dishes looked like they came straight out of a show featuring gourmet restaurants around the world. And they weren't just _visually_ appealing. They smelled mouthwatering, too. Yuuki was sure that if she actually had the stomach for it, they would taste just as good.

"You haven't eaten much at all, have you, Little Bitch?" Laito crooned next to her shoulder. "That won't do, you might become anemic."

_Well, you guys obviously only seem to care about my health if it affects my blood. _She picked up a crystal glass, ignoring him._ And can you stop it with that nickname?_

"If you want, I can feed you." Laito added. "Mouth-to-mouth," he whispered, making her choke on her water.

"Laito." Reiji spoke up. "It's bad manners to get up during a meal."

"Yes, sir." Laito replied dispassionately, obediently returning to his seat. Yuuki, however, appreciated the intervention.

The chair opposing hers shifted as Shu stood up. He cleared his glass of wine in one go and set it down with a resounding clink.

"This is a pain," he stated before leaving.

_"Hoorah!" for living with literal lady-killers with perpetually bad moods. Cue more picking at food._

Reiji made his jab once his older brother exited the room, expressing obvious disgust for Shu's spoiled ways. On one hand, she understood Reiji's disapproval. Shu still had a few months before he was of legal age, since his twentieth birthday would be in October. Until then, the alcohol in the household should be kept locked away in the cellar even if its presence added to the ambiance.

Kanato seemed to get on everyone else's nerves by starting to maniacally play with his food. Further annoyed, Reiji noted that, "He won't even bother showing up," and even held Yuuki back when everyone else was dismissed.

"You're table manners are deplorable. Next time, I will take you aside and discipline you thoroughly. Understood?"

"_My_ table manners?" Yuuki scoffed in disbelief.

"Yes, it's impolite to the chef when you just gape at the dinner they've provided you."

"Well, I apologize, _sir_. I found it hard to swallow."

Little did she know, Reiji had been the one prepared the meal. Although the Sakamaki's employed a full-time chef, Ayato and Kanato would occasionally dabble in pranks such as threatening to cook something. In an effort to protect his precious kitchen from being destroyed, the second eldest son often took it upon himself to concoct elaborate feasts that kept his brothers satiated. His keen attention to detail even determined the selection and placement of the tableware they used.

"Keep up that attitude young lady, and it may be your last meal."

_As if I could eat in peace with my life being threatened!_

"You've just proved my point. And _my_ attitude? Examine thyself before preaching unto others."

Reiji's eyes flashed dangerously but Yuuki stood her ground.

"I always hold myself to the highest standard."

"For what reason? So that you can act like the eldest son when you're nothing but a wannabe?" Yuuki guessed randomly.

_Oops, looks like I hit a nerve. Bulls-eye, yippee?_

"You have been warned, Miss Komori." Reiji snarled with slits for eyes. "Dismissed."

* * *

><p>Back in her room, Yuuki sighed to herself.<p>

_That was not the brightest idea, me. You really shouldn't be pissing any of these guys off when they're holding you under the guillotine here..._

Yuuki removed the diary that was hidden in her nightstand's drawer and held up the photo hidden inside, before releasing another jaded sigh.

_Daddy, why did you send me to a place like this? Didn't you say I'll be taken care of? Wasn't I supposed to be safe here?_

She recalled the events that had led her to this terrible household.

A few months ago, she had to undergo surgery for an organ transplant. She'd always been somewhat of a frail girl, never being able to participate in physical activities in school with all her other classmates. Her foreign ethnic background further isolated her from the native Japanese students, so Yuuki didn't really have many friends to speak of. Except the lovely people who came to church regularly and the group of orphans her adoptive father loosely took under his wing. They were family to her.

Seiji Komori's decision to go abroad was heartbreaking. Not only was the church handed off to another, less-beloved priest, but the children living there were all sent away to different facilities. They separated knowing that there was little chance of seeing each other again. Furthermore, Yuuki's father left her behind because of her weak health. He was worried that the constant travel would be hard on her and that a different climate might not agree with her.

He insisted that she finish her education in the country she was raised in and Yuuki eventually came to agree with him. So they bid each other a tearful farewell. And Yuuki was sent to live under the care of her father's good friend. When she asked why this friend in particular and how come he never mentioned them, Seiji's normally jolly face assumed a solemn expression.

"_What's the matter?_" Yuuki had asked him.

"_Actually... these people claim to be your relatives._"

"_W-what?!_"

"_I've worked for this man a few times, and he approached me one day asking about you. We've established a close relationship so far and I found him to be a good, honest fellow. He provided documentation proving that he was your late birth mother's cousin. In fact, he had no idea that she even had a child until recently. He would like to meet you, however, and feels that he should take some responsibility for your upbringing. Oh, and he has a few children who are around your age. So what do you say? Would you like to live with them?"_

Such lies. There was no way that she could be related to vampires. Her poor, trusting father had been scammed out of his own daughter. And not once had Yuuki even set eyes on this so-called _friend_.

After a long moment of hesitation, she put the artifacts away.

"What are you doing?" Ayato asked, casually shattering the moment of silent reflection.

"Wha-what are_ you _doing?" Yuuki rebounded at the vampire who was perched on her chair, once again stunned at their unnerving ability to simply appear. "Here, I mean."

"Pfft, I can go where ever I want." He stood up to block her path to the door. "Now let me drink your blood again."

No way. Not when the bite marks from the last feeding had _just_ healed. The lasting scabs had been the worst part of the entire ordeal and she was simply thankful that none of them managed to scar.

_I am not willing to risk that chance again._ Yuuki thought with pointed conviction.

She offered the first alibi she came up with.

"I was about to go take a bath... and I've been feeling a little faint recently."

He pulled her closer anyway as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

Yuuki moaned slightly when he sucked into her collarbone, although she hated the fact that the sensation of his mouth was starting to become slightly familiar.

"Stop making it sound like it feels good," he demanded.

Yuuki bit her lip and let him finish, fruitlessly willing her heart to _calm down_. But her body was convinced that she was running a godforsaken marathon. She could hear her own pulse and prayed that he wouldn't mention it. Even though Yuuki might be a rebel at heart, there was no physical need for her heart to actively betray her._  
><em>

"There, my stamp." Ayato declared, grinning at his handiwork.

"A hickey?!" Yuuki exclaimed in total mortification.

She felt her soul leave her now-tainted body, but her attention quickly returned when he started forming a second kiss mark on her chest. His nose brushed against the neckline of her clothes to clear his path of destruction. She struggled at the sensation of his touch so close to her modesty. This was _so_ wrong. Furthermore, Yuuki could not be more aware of the gigantic bed just a meter away from them.

"We'll save the rest for after you take your bath." Ayato said as he pulled away. "But don't make me wait too long, or there'll be consequences."

And he was gone again. _Damn their vanishing ability, too._

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** I like to portray Yuuki as a little more gutsy, a little more sarcastic, and a little less sniveling than her canon counterpart =)


	7. Possessions

Alone in the bathroom, Yuuki checked out her new red bruises.

_That bastard doesn't wait for when a girl's ready, sheesh._

She had reluctantly decided to choose Ayato as her "shield" because of his apparent eagerness to be around her but his impertinence still vexed her. For some reason, it was somewhat justifiable if she was the one in control yet utterly immoral the second he wielded the power. Using him for her own benefit was just a tactic for self-defense on her part... A particularly reprehensible tactic that she could not fully allow herself to entertain.

Suddenly, the idea of a bath seemed unappealing so she headed into the shower. The water cascading down on her was a comfort - a metaphor of her current state. It cleared her mind as it washed her body. Yuuki killed the water and dried herself with the plush, white towels waiting for her.

Her current situation didn't mean that she couldn't pamper herself. Besides, she was never one to be ashamed of her femininity. Yuuki closed her eyes and allowed herself a single moment to just enjoy the feel of the warm bathrobe wrapped around her. From now on, she would have to find pleasure in the little things in life since she was essentially robbed of her true freedom.

_At least it's really fancy prison, if it must be one._

A sound from the tub distracted her.

"Shu!" Yuuki exclaimed, while on the inside she cursed the fact that everyone in this household lacked proper decency.

"Keep yer volume down," the vampire grumbled with his eyes still closed. "Don't be so loud."

_Oh, as if I'm the one disturbing you._

"What are-"

"I'm obviously taking a bath."

"But why in the world are you still dressed? And with earphones in?!" _VAMPIRE LOGIC._

"If it bothers you that much, why don't you go ahead and strip me?"

_EHHHH?! Are you kidding me? I'm from the church, you know. Virginity and Innocence is etched in my soul!_

The train of thought halted when Yuuki abruptly remembered that her "purity" was now marred.

_Ahh! No, my body is tainted!_

Her father would be ashamed. She pulled her bathrobe up protectively to cover the hickeys better.

"Didn't you come here to see me naked?"

"Of course not! Don't even suggest such a thing!" Her face sported every shade of embarrassment.

Shu opened an eye mischievously. "It's a good thing I left my clothes on, then. Why don't you join me?"

"Why would I ever willingly to do that?"

"You're blushing, you know."

"Yeah, what about it?"

"Proves that you're thinking of something dirty."

"Wha-? No, it doesn't!"

"But you think I'm attractive. The fantasizing will follow soon enough."

Yuuki crossed her arms. "Har har, very funny. I'm not exactly going to go around throwing myself to every mildly good-looking guy that crosses me."

"Shame you don't appreciate such an offer. Most girls would consider themselves lucky if eye-candy like me bothered to notice you."

"Gah. Yup, you guys are _totally_ related to each other. I guess arrogance is hereditary."

Shu looked up at her with both of his eyes. She squirmed under his complete attention.

"We have different mothers..." Shu finally drawled. "Me and Reiji share a mother. Ayato, Kanato, and Laito are triplets from another woman..."

_Is he opening up to me? Wow, that's a first._

She hadn't expected him to volunteer information on his own. "And Subaru?"

"Yet another woman." Shu stated while sinking deeper into the tub with a large splash.

Yuuki accidentally grabbed one of his hands because of the unexpected action. It was an unnecessary reflex - Shu wasn't falling nor did she need to care about his safety. The harmless touch was an unfamiliar sensation, reminding the vampire that nobody had been friendly or intimate with him in years. This thought set off one of his own painful flashbacks, causing him to grasp Yuuki's hand too tightly in return.

"Ow, it hurts! You're hurting me, Shu!" Yuuki yelped. He snapped out of his daze, stared at the foreign object within his grip, before pulling the girl into the tub.

"Let me drink your blood."

"What? No, of course not!" Yuuki blurted out. Shu ignored her and let his gaze trail down her neck, where her wet hair clung like curly, platinum golden vines. He chuckled when he laid his eyes on the two love bites.

"Ayato's such a possessive freak." _Agreed._

Shu pushed some of the terry cloth off her shoulder, causing Yuuki to gasp. She felt exposed.

"And for a moment I thought you might be a bit different."

"Don't be an idiot. I'm a vampire just like the rest of them." He bit into her and sucked deeply, then complimented her on her blood.

Yuuki swallowed her pride waited. She knew how much it hurt to move away before he was done and wanted to avoid tearing her veins into pieces. Thankfully, it didn't take long for Shu to be satisfied. Her patience proved to be an asset and the ordeal was quickly over.

It didn't feel intimate. Yuuki was visibly annoyed for multiple reasons but was refusing to react. Shu moved away and frowned.

"Think twice before you try reaching out to us."

* * *

><p>Yuuki had forgotten that Ayato was waiting for her once she returned to her room. Grimacing at the sight of the boy impatiently sprawled out on her bed, she turned around mumbling something along the lines of forgetting something in the bathroom.<p>

Obviously, her weak attempt to avoid him was in vain.

Ayato leapt up from his spot and forcefully pushed the door closed just as she tried to open it, before demanding that she satisfy his neglected thirst. Immediately.

_That's all these bastards care about. Not me, my blood... Duh, they're stupid vampires._

Yuuki sighed silently because he couldn't see her expression with her back turned toward him. His arm remained on the door, caging the petite blonde within his shadow and the wall. She felt far too vulnerable and far too small as he manually maneuvered her so that he had a clear view of her neck. The dangerous gleam in his eyes told her that Resistance Was Futile.

The vampire wondered why his prey was acting so uncharacteristically obedient but he was too preoccupied to really care. Good. She was learning how to behave like he wanted. And he was hungry.

Ayato's victorious grin melted of his face when he spotted something that didn't sit well with him. He lightly grazed his fingers over the new fang marks engraved in Yuuki's pale skin.

"Reiji? No... Shu," he spat with narrowed eyes. "That little piece of shit."

_So you can tell, huh? Hopefully, now you know why I don't have enough strength to - whoa! Where are you taking me?!_

Ayato stormed out of the room to confront his rival, dragging Yuuki along by her elbow. Apparently, vampires could locate their targets with uncanny ease and reach them almost as quickly. The knowledge scared her.

"Shu, you bastard. Are you trying to pick a fight with me?" Ayato asked with a vengeance, but his provocation was thoroughly ignored. "… _Can you hear me?!_"

The eldest brother stirred when the red-haired vampire tore an ear bud out of its rightful spot.

"Listen to me, you motherfu-"

"Shut up, you're too noisy."

"_Is that a challenge_?"

"Ayato," Yuuki pleaded, "let's just let it go, okay?"

Ayato glared at her although he drew her closer. "You think I could ever let you go?"

Yuuki's heart skipped a beat and crumbled a little at the same time.

_He only thinks of me as a possession. Or food. Both._

"Ooh, nice idea." Laito crooned as he joined the group. Ayato's protective grip on her waist tightened at the appearance of his flirtatious brother. "I guess the prize is our Little Bitch."

Yuuki's snapped her head to face the eldest triplet. "Will you stop calling me that? Do you even know what it means?"

Laito smiled, "Of course."

"I don't appreciate being called such a derogatory term. It's sounds weird in the first place."

"But it fits. You're going to become our loyal little lap dog."

"At least give me a cuter nickname."

Ayato rolled his eyes in a silent here-we-go-again. Be as that may, the suggestion amused his older twin brother.

"Such as?"

"Hmmm... how about Koinu? The Ko can even be from my family name."

"Nah, I still like Little Bitch better."

"Too bad but I'm not responding to that. Either call me Koinu or stick to my actual name." Yuuki growled. She was so done with these misogynistic fools.

Shu and Laito both whistled simultaneously.

"This here's a feisty one." Laito joked. "You sure you want to keep her, Ayato?"

"She's mine so keep your filthy hands to yourself."

Shu put his earphones back on. "Whatever. I don't care either way. Keep your precious pup."

Ayato still looked like he wanted to pick a fight but Yuuki pulled him away from the room.

"Move out of the way, pancake. I have a score to settle."

"What's your problem? Just leave it at this and everything will be fine. I promise."

"Yuuki." Ayato put both hands on her shoulders. _Cue another heart zing_. "Stay out of this."

"Stay out of this?!" Yuuki repeated with a look of utter disbelief. "_Stay out of this_?! I'm supposed to be the prize, dammit! Don't bet on me like I'm just another piece in your stupid little game."

"You rea-"

Yuuki's hand flew across his face with a loud slap.

"_Don't_. Don't say it. I know none of you really care about me, but I have feelings. It hurts when you thick-headed numskulls decide to trample all over them," she stated hotly. "And I'm not going around giving up my blood to _just anyone_. At least not on purpose. It's not even realistic with my weak constitution, got it?"

Without sticking around for his response, she turned away and sprinted back to her room, leaving the red-haired vampire dumbstruck.

Once she crashed onto her bed, Yuuki covered her eyes with an arm and started berating herself with a cycle of self censure.

_What the hell is wrong with me? I decided to manipulate Ayato for my safety in the first place. I need to concentrate calling for help – I can't get distracted. What am I getting all butt hurt for? Why am I justifying myself? Why... just for that one second... why did I kind of wish that he did that out of jealousy?_

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** I like how Yuuki loathes the fact that she started caring about them despite her better judgement. That, or she's too curious for her own good. Yuuki would say it's the latter, but I say it's both.

No Reiji in this scene because they weren't really causing a "commotion" to attract his attention =3= I mean, ya live in a huge mansion. Sure you have super sensitive vampire abilities to sniff out whomever you want, but you can easily avoid each other's company if you desired to do so.


	8. Lunacy and Mystery

Yuuki diligently searched for a land line during her break at school.

The idea had occurred to her when she couldn't find a single phone in the mansion save for the one that was out-of-order. She wondered how the household functioned without some sort of connection to the rest of the world. Maybe they relied on internet... Granted, it wouldn't make a difference to her since she had no electronics. The mansion's remoteness was further heightened by the apparent lack of technology.

_May Subaru and his accursed progeny be plagued for his insolence. Destroying somebody else's property without a single word of apology!? Sheesh! I would've killed that child by now if I knew he'd stay dead. I'm sorry, father, for my violent thoughts... I know you'd be as upset about it as I am._

Her mental tangent was disrupted by the sight of a telephone near one of the many staircases.

"Found one!" Yuuki exclaimed as she picked up it up and began to dial her desired number. She quickly slammed it back down when Kanato appeared in front of her.

"Kanato! Um, did you need anything?"

_Shoot, _a_re they keeping an eye on me?_

"Yuuki, I'm thirsty. So is Teddy."

_You're obviously OUT FOR MY BLOOD..__._ She pursed her lips. _But I won't let you if I can help it._

He remained silent, apparently waiting for her to do something about his condition.

Yuuki verbally sidestepped his implied demand with an innocent smile. "Is that so? Should I buy you something?"

Kanato stared back with cold eyes. His expression was disconcerting.

"H-how about a coffee? Would you like that?"

She tried to justify her stupid logic._ Who knows? He might be a tea lover..._

Yuuki's "smart" logic face-palmed.

_Brownie points for effort, I guess_._.._ it sighed with pointed incredulity.

Once more, Kanato didn't respond to her suggestion. Instead, he looked down at his companion bear.

"Hey, Teddy – what do you think about Yuuki for being so clueless?"

_Eh, might as well try to stay on his good side. Kanato's unpredictable, unlike the others._

"Oh, would you like one too, Teddy?" Yuuki added sweetly.

"Please don't talk to my Teddy as if you know him." He took a threatening step forward, making it clear that her little performance of cordiality had no effect.

"Making some new friends won't kill him," she bristled, already beginning to feel cornered.

"I'm the only adviser he needs." His arms tightened around the object of interest as if she meant to take it from him. "We don't need anybody else but each other."

"Is that so? I bet your childhood was incredibly lonely." Yuuki sneered lightly.

The vampire's calm demeanor tore away to reveal unadulterated anger at the insult.

_Oops, there I go setting off another bomb. Real smooth._

"Don't act like you know me! You worthless _human_!" Kanato screeched, stamping his foot on the polished tiles. Yuuki winced.

_So that's what a vampire looks like when they throw a tantrum._

"Who do you think you are?" Kanato continued. "How dare you mock me?!"

"Well, what do you want me to do?" Yuuki implored, her temper finally snapping. "Can't you just try to get along instead of acting like a _racist stalker_!?"

Her outburst effectively made the vampire pause. His rage subsided.

"... Hey, do you hate me?"

_Woow, I'm surprised he didn't kill me yet._

Taken aback by his inquiry, she hesitated. "It's not like I _hate_ you..."

She feared him as a vampire, yes, and maybe didn't really like his personality. But she wouldn't go as far as to say she hated him. Hate was such a loaded word, after all.

"Then, do you really want to learn more about me?"

"I guess I do." Yuuki replied honestly, although a sinking feeling told her that even if they were on good terms, it was probably better to distance herself.

Some company is best avoided. It might be wiser to not push her desire to coexist peacefully.

"Then make the effort to try to understand me." Kanato urged before walking away.

_Ugh. The hell do you think I was trying to do, man? I haven't talked to a stuffed toy since I was what, five? Sorry for being normal._

She didn't know if they'd come to a truce or not. He was so hard to understand and always left Yuuki feeling bitter and small.

"Oh, and that phone hasn't been working for two weeks." Kanato stopped and looked over his shoulder. "Didn't everyone know?"

_And this, dear children, is how I learned the lesson to never argue with a deranged crazy person. Because you will never win._

* * *

><p>Yuuki looked down at her watch as she exited out of the nearly empty school building. There was only an hour and a half left before dawn - the quietest time of the day.<p>

She readjusted her book bag with a grunt. Staying an hour late for extra tutoring every night was starting to take a toll on her. It wasn't her fault that she'd transferred in at a strange time of the year and Ryoutei Academy's curriculum was different from the one she'd been following as a home-schooled child.

The petite blonde spotted Laito, who seemed to be enjoying a private moment in the garden, and instinctively hid behind a tree. She had enough encounters with the vampire brothers to know that they tended to end badly.

He was singing praises of some particular lady unseen, and how he never forgot her till this day, before he noticed uninvited guest and confronted her.

"Don't you know that it's rude to eavesdrop, Little Bitch?"

"Don't you know it's rude to continue calling me that?"

The young man in the fedora smiled wickedly.

"Koinu-chan, then. As punishment..."

The setting moon was the only witness to his crime. Before she knew what was happening, he pushed her against the tree and let his fangs sink into her skin. The bark dug into her back painfully although he wasn't really trying to hurt her. His roughness was more erotic than anything.

Laito pulled away after a taste. He licked his bloodied lips and his eyebrows shot up in surprise.

"Could it be?"

Yuuki didn't bother to ask what stopped him. His hesitation allowed her to break free and, boy, did she capitalize on the chance.

The girl whacked Laito with her bag and sprinted out of the campus grounds. Enough was enough. She couldn't stay in the clutches of these vampires any longer. She panted heavily as she ran through the nearly deserted city. The few cars that were out zoomed past her without stopping or caring about the terrified pedestrian who looked like she needed help.

Yuuki stumbled on the sidewalks until she found a payphone. Quickly inserting some spare change, she felt grateful that she didn't buy Kanato the coffee after all.

The petite blonde anxiously bounced up and down as she waited for somebody to pick up. Each extra ring added to her misery. Tucking the large phone between her ear and shoulder, she wiped her clammy hands on her skirt and tried to catch her breath. A single click and half a second of silence was all that was needed to bring her relief.

"Hello? Daddy, you won't believe what's happening!"

"Oh, I won't Koinu-cchi? It makes perfect sense to me." Laito's voice mocked from the other end.

She lowered the phone in horror but Laito continued in his ridicule.

"You see, I know e~verything about you, Koinu."

Across the street, the vampire was talking into her father's cellphone with a teasing smile gracing his face. Yuuki didn't even have time to react.

Laito tapped the glass of the phone booth with his knuckles.

"Did you enjoy your short-lived freedom?"

"What happened to my father?! Is he alive and well?" Yuuki exclaimed, stumbling out of the phone booth with a fair amount of scrapes.

"Who cares about things like that?"

She let him clasp her arm and pull her up from the floor.

"_I_ do! Now, answer me."

"I'll let you into a little secret, Koinu-chan." Laito murmured into her ear. "You were offered to us as a sacrifice by the very church you believe in..."

He released his hold on her as he watched the vigor leave her face.

"_No_." Yuuki said in a breath tinged with denial. She didn't want to believe it.

_But he has Dad's phone._

A single tear rolled down Yuuki's face because Laito's repulsive claim could very well be the truth. She looked away. Even if the boy was lying just to mess with her, it was still a horrible claim to make.

"Hahaha. That's a wonderful look of despair, Koinu." He cupped her face in order to see it better, wiping her wet cheek with his thumb. "Well, we've played games for long enough. Let's head on home, alri-"

A television segment that started playing on a large, outdoor monitor grabbed his attention.

"What's wrong?" Yuuki asked with a sniffle, following his distracted gaze.

"That's the statesman, Tougo Sakamaki. Our father." Laito explained to the girl. He let his hand drop from her face and promptly pocketed it. "Although, to me, he is merely an object of my hatred."

Yuuki seemed to be placed under a spell when she looked at the politician on the screen.

"T-Tougo Sakamaki? No. That's... Karl... heinz."

She fainted as soon as the words left her mouth. The vampire belatedly caught her before her knees could hit the cement. Scrapes and bruises didn't suit beautiful ladies after all. Unless they were into BDSM, that is.

"Who are you?" Laito asked the unconscious girl in his arms, an expression of surprise coloring his face.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** I'm removing and/or watering down a lot of the borderline-rape scenes and unwanted touches portrayed in the anime. Thus, our resident psycho won't get much action when it comes to his tongue. M'kay? Because if someone licked me the first time we'd met, there'd be broken noses involved. And probably brain damage. Well, we don't have to worry about brain damage when it's just creepy Kanato, so it's all good XD

This fight is so childish it makes me lawl. Yuuki and Kanato need to graduate from their kindergarten rivalry stage ;P Unfortunately, he has some serious problems with his character. If Yuuki could help him out with that, then by all means keep trying. But real talk - Avoid Bad Friends.

Also, I cringed every single time Laito would say _bitch-chan. _Especially since you can't pronounce it properly in Japanese in the first place. I hope y'all like my replacement.

**EDIT:** The original Chapter 8 has been combined with the original Chapter 9 and there is a new chapter called "To Bleed is a Beautiful Thing" that has been inserted between "Songbirds and Sacrifices" and "Surprises" as of 8/23/2015. In light of these changes, I'd like to point out that any reviews written before this date may not correspond with the chapter numbers.

Hence, some reviews for Chapter 9 actually refer to Chapter 8, some Chapter 10 reviews refer to Chapter 9, some Chapter 11 reviews refer to Chapter 10, and some Chapter 12 reviews refer to Chapter 11. I apologize for any inconvenience and I hope that this note helps clarify any confusion.


	9. Cemetary

Yuuki spaced out as she snipped away at the stems of perfectly blossomed roses, losing herself in the a deep, dark red shade of the velvety petals.

A month and a half in captivity. Over an entire month since her freedom had been robbed from her and she'd come to live with these vampires. They had the so-called decency to wait between feedings in order to allow her body to take a break yet it might be kinder to just let her die.

Because she wasn't paying attention, a thorn managed to prick her finger. With an air of indifference, she used her tongue to apply pressure on it until it stopped bleeding.

_What's so great about this taste anyway? It's so disgustingly metallic._

"Yuuki, you know Teddy and I don't like to be kept waiting. Hurry up with those roses."

"They're ready."

"Then follow me." Kanata led Yuuki into a foggy cemetery. She immediately felt goosebumps appear on her body.

"What are we doing here?"

"Isn't this place nice? It's so dark and full of the smell of death. I love graves."

_And I wonder why I obediently followed the psycho. _Yuuki thought sarcastically to herself.

"This here is where my mother rests... At least, that's what everyone says."

"She passed away? My condolences."

_I can see why you grew up to be such a wreck._

Kanato scraped the sole of his shoe against the moist dirt, digging a hole into the ground with his heel. "Would you believe my if I said that I killed her?"

"Huh?" The question and it's implications didn't quite register in her brain.

"Whatever, it doesn't matter anyway. Place the roses there."

"Uh, sure..." _I d_o_n't want to be here for longer than I can help it._

She knelt down to gingerly place the bouquet on the tombstone. Despite the eerie atmosphere, Yuuki spared a second to pay her respects to the dead. The kind of life led by the creature who had passed away didn't matter. When one was reminded of their own mortality, they should stop for a moment to reflect and pray. That is what her father had taught her.

Yuuki slowly stood up and brushed her hands together.

"Well, I guess I'll be going then." She nodded to the vampire and turned to leave.

"You're really self serving, aren't you?" Kanato accused quietly.

Yuuki stopped in her tracks, confused as to what had upset him.

"I specially invited you here but you leave as soon as it displeases you. And you say that you want to know more about me? What could you possibly understand?!"

_Oh, no wonder he's angry. Kanato was opening up to me and thinks that I am being cold._

"I-I'm sorry."

He sighed. "It's tiring when you apologize because you don't even mean it."

"I didn't mean to be rude," she reiterated, staring at the space between her shoes in mild guilt. He somehow found it amusing.

"Haha! Look how pretentious you are!" Kanato exclaimed as he moved towards her. "Hey, how come you smell so familiar to me?"

"How am I supposed to know?" Yuuki mumbled quietly at the change of topic, clenching her hands into fists at her sides.

"I want a taste. I'll forgive you if it's good."

"Kanato, leave me alone." Yuuki said firmly, her expression unapologetic when she looked up at him.

"... You're despicable. Grovel in the dirt and cry out in pain some more before even thinking about heading home..."

_Are you hitting puberty, Kanato? Because your mood swings are on a totally different level._

Yuuki walked back home alone feeling deflated. She didn't know how to interact with these brothers at all.

The girl was was so preoccupied with her own problems that she didn't notice an older vampire standing outside the mansion.

"What are you doing here, Lord Richter? Get lost."

"Shouldn't you be calling me _uncle_, Subaru?"

The youngest nephew just glared at Richter in silence as he waited for an answer.

"The Awakening will occur without biding it's time," the man offered before disappearing.

The white-haired vampire inhaled sharply and his eyes grew wide.

"The Awakening?" Subaru repeated while stealing a glance towards the oblivious blonde.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** Yuuki doesn't trip now! Because, let's be honest, we were all screaming "JUST RUN FOR IT ALREADY!" at the screen and proceeded to facepalm when Yui fell. It was pitiful, but we certainly didn't feel pity.


	10. Not Her Cup of Tea

Yuuki was about to turn the knob to her bedchamber when she heard a distressed moan coming from a room down the corridor. The door was left slightly ajar, so she decided to enter although a part of her conscious reminded her that curiosity killed the cat.

_I didn't know there was a laboratory here..._ Yuuki thought to herself before spotting Reiji asleep on a wing-back armchair. She hesitantly put a hand on his shoulder, and he awoke with a start from what seemed to be a nightmare.

He squinted at the girl in front of him and it was the most disoriented she had ever seen him.

"What are you doing here?" Reiji inquired with a slurred, yet semi-harsh edge to his voice.

She withdrew her hand politely. "Pardon me."

"I can't believe I awoke because of the smell of your blood," he said, shaking his head tiredly. "Though it's far more preferable to the visions I was having."

Yuuki stood next to him in congenial silence as he put on his glasses. As if all ties to a joyless dreamland were suddenly cut off with a sharp pair of scissors, his mask of total control snapped back into place. It was almost like they were a essential tool for his usual comportment.

"Can I help you?" Reiji asked tartly.

"No, I just heard you and came in to see what was wrong."

"You have a really bad habit of intruding without permission."

In her defense, she borrowed the words Ayato had told her earlier in her bedroom. "I can go where ever I want."

"It seems that I've completely neglected to inform you of your own position, although I didn't expect you needed an explanation."

Yuuki bristled at his disdainful tone. "Not at all. Tell me, am I to stay here until the day I die?"

"I would think that would be obvious to you. Escape is futile."

_It IS obvious. Tried it twice, and I doubt that the third time's the charm in this case... More likely that I'd rest in peace once and for all._

"I've embraced that fact," she said coldly. "Therefore, this has become my home. Shouldn't a person be able to walk freely within their own home?"

He frowned at her. "Kindly stop being so conceited."

"Just establishing a few rights, _sir_. That's all."

Reiji pondered her declaration for a second before standing up. "Please wait a moment, I will make tea."

Yuuki breathed a sigh of relief.

_Good. Looks like my bluff worked... I wish they'd treat me with more respect. I don't like having to assert myself all the time. Makes me feel bossy._

The girl fiddled with her earlobe as she watched the vampire heat up some water in a kettle.

_At least Reiji is straightforward like Ayato, so I can hold a proper-ish discussion with him. __Kanato's _impossible to understand_ on the other hand – it drains my energy just trying to befriend him._ She internally chuckled at her own naiveté. _Honestly though, I'm nearly as insane to even attempt it... Laito, well, he's a hopeless flirt. And Shu? I think I prefer his indifference rather than making him my enemy. I don't know what to think of Subaru, though. He seems to hate me..._

Reiji poured a single cup and settled in his seat, taking a sip.

"Um, I -"

"Did you honestly believe I'd make tea for you? It's extremely presumptuous of you."

_Well then._

"I will allow you to enjoy it's aroma."

"So, this must be your laboratory." Yuuki concluded, changing the subject casually. "Does anyone else use it? Like Shu maybe."

Reiji's eyes flashed, "Just hearing that name makes my ears feel unclean."

She started at sinister look he gave her.

_Wow, he really does hate his brother.__ I was just making a wild guess last time but my suspicion was right._

"Why is that?" Yuuki ventured, half-thinking that she was too brave for her own good.

"You do not need to know."

"I don't need to, but I want to. Or at least if you're comfortable with telling me."

Reiji silently contemplated the jealousy he had been harboring towards his older brother since childhood before saying, "I think it's time you go."

The petite blonde visibly hesitated.

"I will not tolerate disobedience," he added with a stern look.

Yuuki nodded, and turned to retire to her room without another word. There had to be some limit to her brashness.

Truthfully, Reiji had been afraid of what he was about to do next, so he chased her away. They were ordered to keep her alive after all.

Strange, how this girl could easily tap into the subject that he dreaded the most. She tried to walk on eggshells for his sake but failed miserably. It was woefully clear that any mention of Shu made him prickle and he wondered how she would interpret this information. Yuuki's well-meaning nosiness and general ignorance could prove to be disadvantageous.

And she'd completely caught him off guard. Thank goodness that she had no notion about what his nightmare concerned. Reiji had a hunch that she'd try to involve herself if she knew about his strained relationship with his late mother.

Even after all these months, he found himself haunted by the image of Beatrix laying on the grass as she coughed up blood as red as her favorite gown. She was a woman who resembled his older brother in terms of appearance, but was more similar to him in terms of personality. Serious but awkward. Criminally unable to express her feelings of maternal affection towards her two children.

His mother's final words were still ringing in his ear.

"_So, I have finally... witnessed your abilities with my own eyes... I always held on to the hope that the one to kill me... would be you,_" she had stated proudly. "_I am satisfied._"

Each word had drained her last reserves of her energy. The struggle of uttering them between labored breaths was not at all reflected in the serene quality of her expression.

"_You would die smiling in the end?_" Reiji had bitterly retorted with an air of disbelief.

The beautiful vampiress never replied, closing her blue eyes for the last time. Her son became incensed by her lack of a response. It was as if she continued to ignore him in death as she had always ignored him in life.

"_No. I will not allow it. I cannot allow it! I have no intention of giving you, my mother, a peaceful_ _death."_ He'd fallen to his knees, clutching his head as waves of misery wracked through his mind._ "... How could I have been expected to allow such a thing?"_

Reiji heard the click of Yuuki's door shutting behind her. His tea had grown cold.

"I will not allow it." Reiji whispered to himself.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** I wanted Yuuki to think about her shift in her perspective about her current situation, however slight it may be. At this point, she's given up on escaping but not necessarily submitting to the vampires. Although I thought about having her taste the tea, I didn't want to add the drugging part. Far too violent, lol. I like portraying Reiji as a rude gentleman, who attacks verbally and refuses to take interest in "imperfect" beings or involve himself physically.


	11. Songbirds and Sacrifices

_"Are you going to Scarborough Fair?_

_Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme._

_Remember me, to one who lives..."_

"Oh," a female voice interrupted the singing one. "That was you."

Kanato was sitting on a railing, his legs swinging back and forth with the tune. He stopped when she opened the door to the balcony.

"Yuuki," the boy acknowledged. "Isn't it a nice night?"

She hesitated before saying, "You have a very beautiful voice."

He found himself interested in her reactions and expressions. Teddy never changed. It was steadfast and loyal, but then again, it could not ever be as _alive_ as she was.

"I used to be called a songbird, you know." Kanato said with a smile, turning his face back towards the moon.

"Is that so?" Yuuki replied noncommittally, keeping her remarks short in order to avoid setting him off again. Who knew how long his good mood would last?

Her terse replies bothered Kanato. He wanted her to entertain him, but it seemed that she would need a little prodding.

"You're pretty cute, aren't you?"

_Uhh, that's random. I probably shouldn't react. God knows I want to avoid another hissy fit._

"I wonder why you're always so scared of me. Frankly, I find it annoying." It was like saying something nice immediately put her on guard.

_Caught! What, are vampires mind readers too?_

The girl clenched her jaw as she approached the edge of the balcony that granted a beautiful view of the estate. Resting her elbows on the railing, she closed her eyes to feel the night on her face. It seemed like just yesterday when the sounds of cicadas reigned supreme and cold slices of watermelon acted as the sole relief to the heat once the ice cream ran out. She took a deep breath and turned her head to look up at him.

"I'm not scared of you right now."

The vampire's grim smile never wavered. "You don't realize how conceited that makes you. I don't need your compliments nor your concern."

Yuuki didn't know how to respond without sounding foolish. Whatever he said frustrated her to no end because she never knew what he was thinking.

Kanato started giggling again - a sound that made a shiver run down her spine.

"By the way, there's a place that I'm fond of. I want to take you there today."

After debating the pros and cons of rejecting his invitation, she decided it wasn't worth the risk.

* * *

><p>"What are these?" Yuuki asked as Kanato led her past elegant figures clad in wedding dresses. The green walls of the room cast a sickly shade onto the displays.<p>

"Wax figures."

"I've never seen one before."

"What do you think?" Kanato hummed with an air of pride, as if they were his most prized collection. It would be wise to flatter him.

"They're beautiful but... eerie. I prefer something cuter, like Teddy."

"I do realize Teddy is the cutest, but in terms of soullessness... they are the same."

"Mm... Why are they all dressed like this?"

"It's a theme. Have you heard of the prophecy about the sacrificial bride?" Kanato asked but answered his own question promptly. "No, of course not. It's in a different language. Well, to paraphrase, it goes like this..."

He marched forward as he recited the translated verses.

"_A Lion, a Snake, a Mare, a Swan are the rulers of a pride. _

_Where a Bear, a Tiger, a Fox, a Bird, a Dragon, and a Wolf collide._

_Sent among them are Sheep, and one Sacrificial Bride._

_Neither fully Demon, nor Man, nor Vampire inside._

_She will learn about the terrible secrets that they all hide._

_With the power to change fate, will either destroy, save or guide._

_Who may survive and who will have died?_

_It will all be left up to her to decide._"

Feeling a sudden chill, Yuuki crossed her arms. "Sounds like this one girl is a pretty big deal."

"Indeed. Most people think the prophecy's just another children's rhyme. As sort of a cryptic joke, we call all the humans that are brought here _sacrificial brides_ and I also use the poem as inspiration for this particular series."

Kanata stopped and turned towards her with a crazed smile.

"What?" Yuuki asked cautiously, ceasing to rub her goosebumps.

"Hey, how would you like to join them?" Kanata asked as he reached out and grabbed her shoulder firmly. "I would preserve you so carefully and Teddy would gain a new friend. It's a win-win situation!"

"Wait a second. You don't mean that these things are actually-?"

"They're corpses."

Yuuki covered her mouth in utter revulsion.

"You'd be the prettiest one of them all! How about I drain all of your blood right now?"

"I don't want to become one of your _sick_ figures!" Yuuki screeched in disgust, despite knowing that it would anger him. "Why don't you just do it to yourself?!"

"Kanato!" Ayato's voice intervened. "Reiji wants you."

"Tch."

The purple-haired boy moved away from Yuuki, whose knees had buckled underneath her, and promptly left the room. She eventually broke the silence.

"Ayato..."

The two hadn't talked much since she slapped him. Sometimes it felt very lonely and Yuuki almost wished that he would act as jolly and frank around her as he had in those first few days of their acquaintance. Ayato was very good at sulking, however, and tended to ignore her. And right when she was willing to forget his presence, he'd turn up out of nowhere to play a prank on her. Like a boy who tugged on the braids of the girl that he had a crush on simply because he didn't know how to express his feelings or was too embarrassed to do so. The torment often left her more frustrated than flattered.

"Thank you for saving me."

"Don't get the wrong idea." Ayato asserted, stalking towards her.

Yuuki made no move as he crouched next to her, fangs prepared to bite. Her eyes were already closed in anticipation of the pain. Instead, the vampire stopped short and stood up again.

"I don't feel like it today," he explained, turning his back to her. "Too tired."

Although she would never admit it aloud, Yuuki gazed after his retreating figure with a tinge of sadness.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** Yuuki's not silly enough to think that falling off a balcony is dangerous for a vampire, but she's silly enough to willingly approach one. Oh, and she's silly enough to fall for another one. Lulz. Also, I'm confused about how much time passes between each episode because the moon phases are changing rapidly. So how long does that mean things have been tense between her and Ayato? No clue.

**EDIT:** So apparently it's about a week in between each episode. My DiaLover fanfiction tends to jump around randomly so I'll just give little time hints from now on whenever it's necessary. Sometimes chapters discuss events immediately after the previous one, or they may skip a few days, months, etc. I will eventually recap all the events with a loose timeline.


	12. To Bleed is a Beautiful Thing

Yuuki clutched the counter of the bathroom sink so tightly that her fingertips turned white. She quickly straightened when another girl walked into the bathroom.

"Whoa, you okay?"

"Yeah." Yuuki replied with a pained smile. "Just cramps."

"Ooh, time of the moon?"

The petite blonde nodded.

"Ugh, that's always _the worst_," the stranger said sympathetically. "Do you need anything? I can get you some pain killers."

"No, it's fine." Yuuki waved off. "I have some in my bag. Thanks, though."

"Okie dokie. Hope you feel better," she chirped good-naturedly before entering a stall. She had done her duty following the Girl Code. That was enough.

Yuuki made her own escape thinking that the girl had no idea just how bad it really was. How she had to take extra care to avoid everyone because _she lived with a pack of vampires_ and _she was on her fucking period_.

It was truly "The Worst" with capital letters.

Waking up to find her bedding soiled had been more of a nightmare than normal. She rushed to her bathroom to clean herself up with a thousand fears plaguing her mind.

What were the Sakamaki boys going to do to her? Did they even know what menstruation was? How was she going to buy sanitary napkins when she wasn't allowed to go out on her own?

Thankfully, the petite blonde had found a stash of pads in the bathroom closet, underneath the towels. And when she returned to her bedroom, one of the maids was already dealing with the mess she'd made in her sleep.

Those two concerns taken care of, she had come to school early with the excuse that she needed to attend tutoring hours and spent the rest of the day avoiding any classes she had with Kanato and Ayato. The fact that they hadn't hunted her down yet surprised her.

Yuuki naturally had shorter, lighter cycles than most women but she completely missed the last one because she was so stressed out physically, mentally, and emotionally. That in itself had been a traumatizing experience.

When she realized that it was late, she ended up holing herself up in the bathroom and crying on top of the toilet with the seat cover down. After an hour or two, Ayato came to find her there because he mistakenly thought he had gone to far with his latest prank on her. That was one of the annoying things about him. He obviously cared but continued to shun her... Not that she really gave a crap about his company anyway.

"_Who's the father?_" Yuuki had sniffled as she wiped away the various liquids that were running down her face with a long piece of toilet paper.

"_What do you mean?_"

"_Did you assholes spike my food and gang rape me or something?_"

"_Uhh, no idea what you're talking about, pancake._"

"_Don't lie to me. If I end up being pregnant, I will personally find a way to murder you guys._"

"_Wow. PMS-ing much?_"

Yuuki had blown her nose profusely at this. "_Nah, quiet the opposite. I'm wondering why I'm not PMS-ing."_

"_Whatever you say,_" he had said dismissively with a shrug.

"_Ayato... Do you even know what that phrase means?_"

"_Beats me._ _All the girls who come to live with us say that whenever they're being unusually cranky. Then again, you're cranky almost all the time without any reason._"

She giggled. "_So... I'm not pregnant?_"

"_How should I know? I mean, if you want to be, I can probably help you with that._"

"_Don't be such a pervert. And, speaking of which, who let you in here?_"

"_Hey, you're the one-_"

"_Shut up._"

And so, Yuuki was assured of her retained virginity and learned that extreme stress was solely responsible for the way her body was acting. Inhale. Exhale. Now, didn't that feel nice?

NOPE. Because guess what problem came around to knock on her door the _next_ month? Aunt Flo. That's who.

Yuuki plopped into her seat and rested her forehead on the desk.

_I should have taken birth control pills._

She clutched her stomach as the lunch period drew to an end. Right before class began, somebody slipped her a note from Ayato.

Yuuki read the message aloud to herself. "Yo! Just got six tickets to a hot springs retreat. Since you weren't there, the rest of us already called dibs. See you in a week... Yours Truly... P.S. Don't try anything stupid while we're gone because the servants are still going to keep tabs on you."

With a sigh of relief, she crumpled up the piece of paper and tossed it into the trashcan.

_To Bleed In Peace is a beautiful thing._

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** Some of my former readers will recognize this as a completely new addition. See? I told you guys that I'll come back to "Revised" and change a few things.

Actually, I felt like writing this scenario ever since I published Chapter 9 of "Rebirth" but it took me nearly a year to actually do it. I will excuse the delay, however, because I didn't know the exact timeline of Yuuki's story back then (and therefore did not know if Yuuki actually lived with the Sakamaki boys long enough to have this particular experience). Since I developed one recently, I'm going back and editing everything for consistency.

In any case, I hope you enjoyed my mention of the quote-unquote _grosser_ aspects of human life. In my personal philosophy, periods are a sacred time of self-purification that our society unfairly treats as a taboo topic. But it happens. And it would certainly affect vampires.

Further head-cannon clarification... In my DiaLover universe, vampires dislike menstrual fluid and find it dirty because it's not "pure" blood. Later on, Yuuki realizes that the boys were avoiding her on purpose because they didn't want to be around an irritable, hormonal girl who is negatively overwhelming their heightened senses. (They know that it's not fun because she's not the first female to come live with them.)


	13. Series of Surprises

Richter entered the room that Yuuki had found her absent father's diary in with ease, since the now-broken seal no longer hindered trespassers.

A thin layer of dust covered the furniture and the floor but there were signs of some recent disturbances. His perpetual frown deepened. He wanted to accomplish his mission before he was discovered by his nephews. Nuisances, the lot of them.

The Persian rug underfoot muffled the sound of his boots as he hurried past the various interesting trinkets that populated the small space. The valuable jewels that were sprawled upon a tabletop failed to pique his interest. Nor did Richter care to see what was hidden underneath the white sheets. None of these deserved a second glance compared to the treasure that he sought.

The vampire stopped in front of the furthermost bookshelf and pressed a small panel concealed in the wood. An entire section of the shelving unit pulled away to reveal a hidden room. The architecture of the thing may have been impressive if not for one flaw. The mechanism was entirely too slow. Richter felt restless - impatient to claim what he believed was rightfully his.

In the corner of the secret alcove, he found what he was looking for displayed on a headless mannequin. It was a rich black dress with a thigh-high slit that revealed delicate white ruffles underneath. Below the right zigzag strap was a white rose embellishment followed by two smaller ones. Two tiny blue roses hung on a chain that wrapped around the hips. No doubt, it was gorgeous... At one point in time.

The gown had obviously seen better days. It was torn up and drenched with seemingly-fresh blood. The large white rose was so saturated that it was hard to tell if it was meant to be a red flower in the first place. A single drop gathered on one of the petals. Grew in volume and fell once it became too heavy.

Richter's scowl melted away as the tiny liquid globe hit the floor dramatically.

Everything was falling into place.

* * *

><p>Yuuki barely registered the fact that she had somehow started getting used to the layout of the mansion before she moved around it almost naturally. The familiarity was a sad testament to how long she'd been stuck in this horrible place.<p>

_This experience has changed me._ Yuuki mused as she slowly walked up the stairs into one of the many lofty hallways._ I almost can't remember the girl I used to be before... Before this nightmare. _

Would her old friends recognize her now? Once upon a time, people would say she always had a bright smile for everyone and a sympathetic tear for everyone's plights. Those who visited the church could always count on her positive outlook. Like a constant, soothing presence that could be considered a pillar of the church. Just like the absent father whom she still loved.

Now she had nobody to support and be supported by. She couldn't even fully relax at school knowing that she was being monitored constantly.

_It's like all this has sucked away my happiness and sweetness... I just keep lashing out at everyone and everything. Sometimes I don't really even feel guilty for it. I can't afford to care._

She detested the un-Christian-ness of her own excuse_._

_What am I? A human or a mere beast? Prioritizing survival over all else? The more time I spend here, the more disgusted I get._

_Actually, it's not just a matter of time. I became like this the second that I realized that they were -_

Her mental soliloquy was cut short when she rounded the corner. She was surprised to see a solitary figure leaning against a colossal window. Had she not become so accustomed to such grandeur lately, the window itself would have amazed her as well.

"Subaru?" Yuuki called out experimentally. He normally kept out of her sight.

The vampire seemed to be waiting for her, since he immediately turned to her. His voice was low and intense.

"You will die if you continue to stay here."

Something convinced her that his concern was genuine, and her legs carried her all the way until she found herself huddled against his chest. Her ear rested on top of the area where his heart should have been, but the girl felt no pulse.

Yuuki was somewhat bewildered at herself but asked, "What choice do I have?"

Subaru blinked at her uncharacteristic behavior. With an awkward cough, he tilted his head to stare at the waning crescent in the sky

"Go now."

She staggered back a step or two in order to look at the vampire properly.

_Huh?_

Subaru leaned forward to whisper in her ear. The fact that he strained himself to do so demonstrated his seriousness and need for secrecy... Like all of the brothers, he towered over her.

"Now's your chance, so take it," he said quietly before pulling away. Even if his words left her visibly dumbfounded, he felt no need to explain further.

She took a moment to memorize his unreadable expression before flying from him.

Yuuki immediately started packing her things once she returned to her room. Only one small bag of necessities - everything else would drag her down. However, she hesitated when she picked up the mysterious photo

The petite blonde plopped down onto the bed with a tired sigh.

_How far could I run before I get caught? This time, they'll kill me for sure..._

The petite blonde lowered the photograph.

_I guess if I was wrong about anyone, it was probably Subaru. I shouldn't waste the chance that he gave me. _Yuuki thought to herself

The next instance, her hopeless expression transformed into a look of pure determination.

"No. I need closure."

* * *

><p>"Subaru?" Yuuki called out as she approached him once more, this time more sure of herself.<p>

"You're still here?" He was casually sitting on a window sill while gazing up at the moon, looking every bit a lone wolf. "You wasted a rare opportunity."

Yuuki folded her hands neatly in front of her legs, her posture confident yet demure.

"Don't make me regret my decision, then. If you know anything about me or my father, please tell me."

Subaru didn't respond and continued to look out the window.

"I was told that I was offered up by the church as a sacrifice."

_If that's the truth, then I would have nowhere to return to._

"I know nothing," the vampire said honestly without an ounce of his usual gruffness.

Yuuki's face fell. Her gamble was for naught.

Subaru turned to look at Yuuki and his eyes widened at what he saw. Her downcast expression reminded him of his mother. The uncanny similarity inspired his sympathy, so he abruptly got down from his perch and handed Yuuki a knife. When she made no move to take it, he impatiently grabbed her wrist himself and dropped the object in her palm.

"That silver knife can be used kill vampires," he explained, "with a stab to the heart."

Yuuki glanced up at him in shock.

"But why?" There was a tremor in her voice. "... What if I start with you first?"

Subaru ignored her hypothetical question and walked away. He knew that she was hesitant to kill her only potential ally. Her former question, however, made his heart ache with the memory of how he had first obtained the weapon.

"_Take this with you,"_ his mother had told him._ "Keep it on your person at all times._"

"_What is this for?_" Subaru had asked her, confused as Christa handed him the knife.

His mother was a frail-looking vampiress. Delicate like a white flower, willowy and beautiful. Her far-too-young son could not comprehend that such a gentle figure would associate herself with anything dangerous at the time.

He remembered how she was shaking with emotion. Her voice was clouded with something similar to hysteria.

_"My dear, wretched baby." _Christa crooned as she'd caressed his cheek. _"You must do something for me... I need you to commit murder."_

_"What?" _What was murder?

_"Please, for me?"_ Christa had pleaded desperately. She'd mistaken his ignorance born out of innocence for a shocked refusal.

Subaru had shook his head and asked,_ "What do I have to do, mother?"_

_"Plunge this knife squarely in the heart,_" the woman instructed behind bars. _"This will certainly kill."_

"_Who do you want me to kill?_" Subaru wondered aloud, starting to feel a little uncertain about what he was being asked to do. He understood death. That's what those humans kept doing just because they lost too much blood.

_Who_, indeed. What a terrible question that simple word could be. Who deserved to be wiped off the face of the earth? Who had the right to determine that? Who had inflicted enough pain? Who had endured the pain for long enough?

At this awful reminder of the man who betrayed her, had imprisoned her, had driven her mad, his mother shrieked, "_Let me go! Please, let me go!_"

_"Mother, it's okay! Nobody's holding you!"_ Subaru cried out as another episode of insanity shook through her.

_"No, no, no, no, no, no..."_ Christa had rambled on as she hugged herself, eyes wide and brimming with tears.

_"Who are you talking to?"_

The lady collapsed onto the floor in an elegant drop. She covered her face with a sob with dainty, gloved hands. "_It's him! I can't escape him."_

_"Who is it?"_

Suddenly, her hysterics ended and she grabbed Subaru by his shoulders - now at eye level with the child.

_"Listen to me - you must either kill the tormentor or the tormented,"_ she told him with an unnervingly serious tone._ "Neither can be free until you do so. Understand?"_

_"Yes, mother."_

The younger vampire gaped as she pulled him into a hug. Christa began to stroke his hair lovingly. He hesitantly returned it and she praised him.

"_You are such a gentle boy, my love."_

* * *

><p>Left alone in the room, a single tear streaked down Yuuki's face. The sudden wetness surprised her. She wiped it off and promptly returned to her bedroom to find Laito laying on his side next to her haphazard pile of things. She grimaced, realizing that he probably knew of her attempted escape.<p>

"Koinu, you kept me waiting," he said, his chin resting on the heel of his palm.

A sarcastic taste danced on her tongue. "I don't remember setting an appointment, Laito."

"What's with the long face?" Laito sat up and placed himself in front of her.

"Get out." Yuuki commanded, but he just smirked, making her frown in return. She wasn't in the mood to deal with his flirtation.

"Oh, isn't that Subaru's knife?" Laito mused when he looked down. To Yuuki's astonishment, he grabbed her hand and aimed the knife at his own chest.

"Wha-"

"What an honor! I never knew that you loved me that much." Laito singsonged.

"Eh?"

"To a vampire, murder is the ultimate way to confess your love... You wield the finality to end the life of an immortal."

Yuuki shuddered. _How twisted_.

"Do you know how it feels to love someone so much that you hate them?"

"N-"

Laito unexpectedly shoved the smaller human against the door. Her back stung from the impact.

It seemed like his question meant to distract her so that he could catch her off guard. His unnaturally green eyes shone as he pressed against her. "Hmm. Well, I certainly do."

Yuuki's expression glazed over and her voice assumed a metallic note. "Laito, let me go."

He didn't like how she was starting to become more and more dispassionate and robotic between every feeding. It was like she was emotionally escaping from the situation every time one of the brothers approached her. Such a method didn't suit an otherwise spirited girl.

Laito grabbed the wrist that held the deadly weapon and twisted it above her head. She cried out in surprise. The forced motion didn't cause her pain but it kept her from being able to escape regardless of how hard she struggled.

He cupped one of her breasts with his free hand and began to massage it. Expertly.

"DON'T TOUCH ME, you bastard." Yuuki growled as she batted his prying fingers away. They could treat her like livestock but never a sex toy. There was only so much appetite she was willing to combat.

"Your blood says otherwise. It knows that it wants me," he murmured seductively into her ear. "Say it..."

"It."

Laito chuckled and his rumbling voice rolled over her. In the position that they were in, she could easily move to bite his neck had she been a vampire herself. At least that would stop his laugh dead in its tracks. Let him choke on it as his breath lodged halfway in his throat. The way that air failed to move into her lungs now.

She hated his playboy attitude the most. His other brothers had faint a sense of dignity although nobody could really argue that they had a strong set of morals. Laito seemed like the kind of guy who wished to bed every female thing alive like a mercilessly-womanizing asshole. A beast in human form. It disgusted her.

Surprisingly enough, Laito sympathized with his prey unlike any other vampire. He gave a little bit of himself to every victim in return for feeding on them. A short-lived romance was his way of turning pain into pleasure because he lived equally for both. And as friendly as he tried to be, he understood the limitations that his own nature set upon his relationships with others and never complained.

In the end, he was a vampire. The loneliest kind of creature in the world. Nothing could change that.

Laito nibbled on her earlobe. "Come on, Koinu. I want to hear you... Scream aloud that you want me..."

Yuuki turned her flushing face away from him. Her silver rosary glistened due to the movement, catching Laito's attention. An amused snort escaped him.

"Do you resist temptation because you fear the judgement of an old man sitting on his high and mighty throne?"

"If by that ridiculous description you mean that we are accountable for our actions," she answered in a steely voice, "then I would say that's a perfectly valid reason to reject your attentions, yes."

"You call it ridiculous and yet you subscribe to that belief."

"_No_, I consider _your_ particular notion of God ridiculous. I believe in one true Creator who is unlike all creation and that is all."

"There's no God-"

"Yes, there is."

"There's no real reason to obey the rules either," he continued unfazed.

"Of course, when you put it like that it makes perfect sense." Yuuki grumbled sarcastically.

"It does, doesn't it?"

"You deny the existence of the Lord in order to conveniently side-step the consequences of your bad decisions. It makes perfect sense that you can continue acting like a mere pig without feeling an ounce of guilt."

"Ha! I haven't been called that one before." Laito grinned. "But if you cannot convince me by proving the existence of your God, then your argument holds no weight, am I right?"

"... I cannot force my own convictions upon you or anyone else."

"So what's the point of trying to tell me to stop?"

She clenched her fist. "I don't know..."

Yuuki could debate theology and discuss ethics and justify morals for hours on end, but there was no point in arguing with a faithless fool who would never understand.

His grin widening, Laito leaned in to reach her exposed neck.

"But I will still believe... Because humans are weak, you know."_  
><em>

_Because without faith, we will have nothing._

The vampire paused and pulled back, curious about whatever she wanted to say. Yuuki eyes locked onto his in a hard, steady gaze.

"No matter how difficult life becomes, I will still believe."

He never expected use the word "unshakable" to describe the girl that he was technically pinning. Everything about their current position would suppose otherwise.

Laito smiled. And for once, it was a smile filled with mirth lacking all forms of his practiced seduction. It was the first time she's seen his pearly teeth sparkle for his own sake rather than for the sake of attracting others to himself.

"I've never met a girl like you before, Koinu-cchi. I was only interested in your blood, but now... I've changed my mind."

Without a warning, Yuuki found herself alone again. Still leaning against the door for support, she exhaled the breath that she was holding, and slid onto the floor.

_I just wasted two good opportunities... Laito. Subaru. Even Ayato. What's up with them lately?_

Yuuki gazed at the silver weapon in her hands and realized something that she wished she hadn't.

It was an idea that started materializing in her heart when the tear had formed earlier. But now she understood what made her feel that way.

The more logical side of her cursed at herself with growing frustration.

With something like this finally in her possession, she realized that she didn't necessarily want to kill them if she could help it...

Out of all the astonishing things she witnessed, what surprised Yuuki most of all was _herself._

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** Hey! We're halfway to completion =D Not many changes with this scene, but I added more insight to Yui's actions... Even Yuuki berates herself and her stupidity. I left Laito's scene here pretty intact and added some groping because it wasn't as invasive as the deleted church scene, for example. Plus, blood is what vampires naturally pursue and sex is something Laito can't live without, y'know?


	14. A Trip Down Memory Lane

"Was that a dream?" Yuuki wondered aloud when she awoke with a start.

_Obviously, yes._

The girl pushed the covers back, mosied over to the window, and pulled one of the curtains aside.

"Wow, it's a total downpour." Yuuki observed before noticing a figure standing in front of a bed of roses, unfazed by the rain... Long purple hair and wearing the most stunning black and white dress the girl had ever seen. She gasped when she recognized it as the handsome lady from the balcony on the night of her arrival.

As if on cue, the woman turned her head and smiled directly at the direction where observer stood frozen.

Yuuki's heart started constricting again. She fell back and collapsed onto the bedroom floor. The windows flew open and the curtains blew around her as the storm beat them inward. When she stirred, she seemed to have been placed under a trance.

By the time Yuuki came to her senses, the sun was shining brightly down on her and she was standing in the middle of a courtyard.

_Wha__-__? _

"Over here!" a voice shouted enthusiastically from a distance.

_Where am I?_

Children's laughter rang towards her and the petite blonde looked around in confusion.

She was astonished to see a tiny Ayato being chased by an equally-tiny Laito. A mini Kanato followed right behind as the teddy bear in his arms hindered his ability to keep up. The three rushed right past her.

_The... hell?_

"The bats I just caught flew away!" Kanato hiccuped, tears forming in his eyes.

"Don't cry, Kanato." Laito lowered his stick. "We can catch them again."

"Yeah!" Ayato exclaimed. "Stop sniveling. _I'll_ catch them for you!"

"_Ayato_?" an adult called out, stopping him and the eldest triplet from dashing off. "Is this where you've been? Come with me."

_Isn't she the one that I just saw in the garden?_

"Kanato, let's go." Laito said to his curious brother, who innocently skipped up to the trio.

"Sure!" Kanato happily agreed and they ran off to play elsewhere.

The image couldn't help but put a small smile on Yuuki's face. They were such cute kids. You could hardly tell that they'd all grow up to be such pieces of poo.

_And hey! For once, I'm taller!_ Yuuki thought jokingly as she turned her head back to the others who remained.

The lady addressed the boy left standing in front of her with something that almost sounded like contempt coloring her voice. "You're going back inside."

"N-no way!" Ayato complained, his hands balling up into little fists at his sides. "I'm done with studying! I've already-"

"I don't want to hear any excuses, young man. Return to your room at once," the woman ordered.

"How come Kanato and Laito always get to play, when all I ever get to do is study?"

"Because you are not like other children."

Her demeanor had softened considerably as if she was complimenting him. Yuuki recognized her change in behavior as simply a method to get the stubborn boy to comply.

_AKA the Top Ten Tactics to Tame a Troublemaker. Order now while supplies last!_

The stubborn Ayato, however, remained unmoved by the woman's sweet smile.

"I don't care - I want to play more!"

_Disclaimer: Product-may-have-different-results-on-individuals. Manufacturer-not-liable-for-damages-or-failure-including-without-limitation-any-indirect-or-consequential-loss-or-damage-in-connection-with-this-product._

The lady snapped, her tone angry and harsh. "How many times do I have to tell you-?!"

Ayato flinched in fear.

"- that you are the successor," she continued more calmly. "Do you understand what that means? _Yes_? Now, what you must do?"

Ayato submitted to her will with a sad expression. "I must become number one... I must become better than anyone."

"And if you fail?"

"I am not fit to be mother's child. "

The woman smiled, finding his answer acceptable. "Exactly, good boy!"

Yuuki felt her stomach sickened by the exchange. This! This was no way to motivate a kid.

"You are worthless to me unless you are number one. Worthless boys will have to spend eternity in the cold, damp bottom of a lake all alone with no one to help them." Her expression hardened again. "Unless that's what you want, return to your room!"

Yuuki watched sadly as Ayato unwillingly obeyed and sprinted off.

_No wonder Ayato gets so possessive when he finally has something to play with... Not that it justifies his behavior, of course._

The woman had settled comfortably on one of the benches rather than following him inside. Her posture boasted self-confidence.

"Mother?" Kanato called out as he ran up to her.

_So she is their mother? What a demon for treating her own children like that._

"Kanato, my little songbird." She outstretched her arm elegantly. "Sing for me, my love."

Laito joined the two, grinning contentedly at both of them in turn.

_Treating her CHILD like that_, the petite blonde amended. _Why are his older brothers handled with better care?_

Barking interrupted Yuuki's observations. She followed the sound, no longer wishing to see the strange, inexplicable double standards.

Underneath a veranda, a younger Reiji sat absorbed in a novel beside another gorgeous lady who was busy sewing. Yuuki was nearly taken aback by how perfectly poised the woman was. Her rich blond hair was twisted in an elegant bun with two long strands hanging down in the front while her bangs were swept to the left, and she wore a red and black gown with gold trimmings. Unlike the outfit that the triplet's mother donned, this outfit was perfectly symmetrical. Balanced.

The butler was stationed near the two but he didn't notice Yuuki climb up the steps and join the party. She looked over the lady's shoulder to see the fine work of embroidery in her lap. In the corner of the piece, neatly-stitched letters spelled out _Beatrix_.

The joyous sound of giggling drifted to them as Reiji's older brother approached. He was carrying a black puppy in his hands.

"Shu," the woman demanded as she stood up, "what are you doing?"

The little vampire skipped towards her excitedly and raised the dog. "Look, Mother! A friend gave him to me."

"Release that thing at once," she said quietly but Shu was too preoccupied to listen.

The animal had started to lick him, tickling the boy and making him squeal with laughter. Reiji glanced up from his book to watch the scene with an annoyed expression.

"Shu!"

The older boy's attention was immediately seized once again. It seemed that his mother didn't raise her voice often.

"You are the eldest son, therefore, the next head of the family. You must learn to conduct yourself at all times... Do you want those half-bloods to take your rightful throne away from you?"

Shu resisted when the butler moved to take the dog away from him.

"No! I promised Edgar I would take care of him," the young vampire exclaimed.

His mother walked up to him and looked down at him coldly with a set of matching sky blue eyes. Shu, who recognized the silent order, stopped fighting back. Distraught, he ran away. The lady re-seated herself and sighed with some regret.

"Mother, I just finished memorizing this book." Reiji announced in an effort to please her. However, the woman ignored his statement and continued sewing in silence.

_Were their mothers intentionally pitting their children against each other?_

Yuuki felt a twinge of pity. Her bare foot brushed up against a white rose, distracting her. When she leaned down to pick it up, a thorn cut into her index finger.

_Ouch, not again. _

The pain surprised her because she learned that she could interact with the world around her. She looked up and she found herself standing somewhere else. It was a stone pathway to a tower.

A young Subaru gazed up longingly at the building. Yuuki followed his eyes and saw yet another incredibly pretty woman looking back down at him behind a solitary window. It was hard to tell from a distance, but she seemed to resemble Subaru. After a moment, the person moved away from the iron bars that blocked her view to the free world. Downcast, a silver knife that Subaru fell out of his hands with a weak clang.

The petite blonde recognized it as the weapon that he would later give to her.

Something about the atmosphere made her feel like she was intruding on a deeply personal and private scene, so she tip-toed away. Yuuki soon found herself in front of a different veranda, where Ayato's mother was enjoying the company of a dangerous-looking man underneath its shade. He had dark, greenish hair and an earring on his left ear. She noticed it because Ayato had a piercing on the opposite side - a black stud that would occasionally poke out from behind his unruly red mane.

"Cordelia, you are easily the most beautiful and delightful creature alive. It is obvious all things exist to love you and kneel at your feet," the man said as he kissed her hand.

_Hmph. Beauty is only skin deep, you know._

"Oh Richter, I would like you to always stay by my side just to whisper your sweet nothings. You vampires are too tempting to resist - I prefer no other company."

_Richter? Wasn't Tougo Sakamaki...?_

Yuuki noticed little Ayato glaring at the two. Time seemed to stop. Cordelia's smile melted off her face and she turned to look directly at Yuuki with a frown. Once more, the girl felt a mind-numbing pain throbbing from her chest and passed out.

* * *

><p>"Oi," a male voice called out. "Hey, pancake, wake up."<p>

She opened her eyes to see concern marking the vampire's face. "Ayato... Where are we?"

"The underground waterway."

"How did I get here?" Yuuki asked as he helped her to her feet.

"You don't remember? Have you been sleep-walking again?"

"Mm..." Yuuki put her hand on her face while her consciousness fully came back to her. "Since when did I do that?"

"Never mind. You should stay away from this place when it rains." Ayato said, still mentally ready to steady her if she needed it.

She took a second to register her surroundings and pointed to a large door. "What's behind that?"

"Nothing important," he asserted unceremoniously before noticing her finger. "What happened to your hand?"

"Oh! How did this happen?"

"Paw." Ayato stated, but Yuuki just stared blankly at his outstretched hand.

"Give it here," he demanded once again, and she reluctantly obeyed. He took her finger into his mouth and licked the wound.

"What are you doing?!" Yuuki exclaimed, her face sporting a shade somewhere in the tomato category.

"I can't help it. Your scent is just too much," the vampire said matter-of-factly, his grip too strong to pull away from had she tried to do so. "It's too tempting."

The memories of a past that didn't belong to her came back to her in a rush.

"What's wrong?" Ayato asked, genuinely alarmed when Yuuki clutched the top of her nightgown with a pained look.

"My chest is hurting again," she gasped in a confessional panic before fainting for a second time. He caught her before she hit the ground.

Yuuki's lips parted as he propped her dangling head upright - their pinkness emphasized by the pale complexion of her face. Oh, how he wished to kiss her.

"Seriously, you're such a handful. How helpless can you get in front of a vampire?" Ayato muttered before hoisting her up onto his shoulders...

His sleeping beauty deserved to awaken on a proper mattress.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** I honestly thought this episode was pretty good... Before Ayato and Laito assaulted her. That's really the only thing I had to work on. Too bad I couldn't use the spider web quote though. Also, Yuuki loses consciousness far too often. She should be hospitalized at this point.


	15. What it Means to Murder

Yuuki was absolutely terrified. She ran out of the mansion, but she could not run away from the terrible vision that plagued her mind. It seemed too real, almost as if it was happening right in front of her. She felt like she could clearly hear the scream that penetrated the night air...

* * *

><p>"Ayato." Cordelia gasped as she clutched her bloody side, letting her one long black glove soak up the liquid pain.<p>

"What a shame. I really liked this shirt but now it's ruined." Ayato mused indifferently as he raised his arm. His sleeve was stained with blood. "_Look_, it's red... I expected it to be black, you know."

She faced her attacker, heaving as she climbed the gallery steps.

"You should have cut your own wrists if you were simply curious, boy! Demon blood runs thick in you too."

He shrugged and gave his hand a single lick. "It's surprisingly delicious... I would've like to do this more often but you only die once. Right, Mother?"

"You disgust me. Get out of my sight."

Ayato's countenance darkened as he took a menacing step forward. "No, you disgust me."

"Don't come any closer than that, you rotten child! I gave birth to you and this is how you decide to repay me?"

"I won't thank you because you've only made this life of mine miserable," he said. "And why are you acting so afraid? You've already outlived all his other wives. You can't possibly think your turn would never come."

"I-I am his first and I am the best. How dare you betray me when I gave you success on a silver platter?"

"You seem to be mistaken. You were never the best and I was never on your side in the first place. Come now, Mother. I think it's time to kiss you goodnight for the last time..."

Cordelia turned around and fled from her youngest son. He laughed as she ran away. It would be easy to track her since she was dripping blood all over the floor. The woman lost her balance and scraped against the wall, marking it as she clawed her way towards the sound of a piano. She burst into the room.

"Laito," she pleaded with considerable effort but the younger vampire kept playing.

"Oh, what's the matter, Mother?"

"It's Ayato. He's planning to kill me."

"Wow, really? Well, I knew this would happen sooner or later." Laito closed his eyes. "You are not immortal like the vampires, no matter how long you live amongst us."

Cordelia's expression widened in surprise and she stretched her bloodied fingers towards him.

"Laito, I command you to help me."

Laito removed his hands from the piano keys, his face schooled into an expressionless mask. He stood up and smiled at the distressed lady.

"Relax. I will protect you."

* * *

><p>With a commendable amount of effort, Cordelia stripped out of her destroyed gown. Every little movement made her side throb with excruciating pain. In the end, she simply tore the upper half of the dress apart to be able to escape it, and left the discarded outfit on the floor because she had other damn priorities.<p>

Rid of that suffering, the lady tried to bind her bloody and raw torso as best as possible until further aid could be administered.

Wearing nothing but a terrycloth robe over her risque undergarments, she waited for her eldest son on a balcony hanging over a patch of roses. It was attached to the room that Yuuki would later stumble into during her escape from the same vampires.

Cordelia leaned heavily upon one of the stone pillars to preserve her remaining strength. She only opened her eyes when she heard someone approaching.

"Have you driven Ayato away from me?"

"Yup, he's gone. You don't have to worry about _him_ anymore."

"I knew I could always depend on you," the injured lady cooed, relaxing her posture slightly. She flinched as the giant gash on her body screamed in protest.

"Does that mean you love me more than anyone else?"

"Of course." She adjusted her position and raised her glove-less hand. Laito moved closer to take it and smiled.

"Do you even have to ask? I love you, Laito..." Cordelia lied through her teeth as she let him taste her life-juice. "I really do mean it."

"I guess actions speak louder than words, right, Mother?"

Cordelia suddenly found herself flung into the air. Laito had pushed her over the railing before she could agree and compliment him for saving her. She shrieked all the way down and landed on the bed of roses. Thorns pierced mercilessly into her backside and arms.

"Now you belong to only me for all eternity." Laito muttered before turning away.

Cordelia's eyes were fixed on the red moon as it became covered with dark clouds. It was probably the last sight she'd behold before slowly bleeding to death. The roses withered away as the crimson liquid touched them.

Later on that night, Kanato found her body while holding a candelabra in one hand. The rain, which had softened into a light drizzle, would not put out his enchanted flames.

"Mother, what's wrong?" Kanato asked. "There's a hole in your chest... I thought he only slashed your side open."

Kanato set the candles and his signature toy down and reached out to his mother.

"Wake up, Mother." He gently pet the bangs on her forehead. She didn't stir.

"I wonder where your heart went... Help me look for it," the child implored.

"C'mon." Kanato leaned closer. "Are you dead already, Mother? You're so cold and wet. You must be freezing. Hold on, I'll warm you up."

He pulled back to pick up the candelabra and set the body on fire along with the roses. Kanato smiled triumphantly.

"Doesn't that feel nice and warm?" He paused for an answer. "C'mon, tell me you're feeling warm again."

She didn't respond, but this seemed to amuse him.

"Hey, Teddy. Looks like you have a new friend," the vampire commented before cackling into the sky...

* * *

><p>Yuuki hated that sound. It gave her the chills.<p>

She was still running - every breath a ragged pant, every step an agonized beat. The girl tripped and fell onto the hard ground. Her face contorted in pain and fear as the scrapes on her palms were stinging against the night air.

What if the scent of blood gave her away?

Quaking, Yuuki pushed herself up and hugged herself.

"I hate this place," she whimpered. "I can't stand it anymore."

"You should've escaped when I told you to."

"Subaru!" Yuuki exclaimed, looking up at the youngest vampire. Thank god it was just him.

"Go back. You've already missed your chance to leave."

"I can't! I can't go back to that den of monsters... You know about it, don't you? What those three did to their own mother?"

He turned away indifferently, but there was a tint of guilt in his voice. "And if I do?"

The petite blonde stared at his back as she tried to interpret his words. "Subaru... why did you give me that knife?"

"Figure that out for yourself," he growled in response and began to stalk away.

She stood up shakily and cried out, "Wait!"

The vampire whirled around angrily.

"Stay away from me!" he barked. Yuuki's hand retreated in shock.

"Take one step closer, and I'll break you," Subaru threatened.

Yuuki shied away before asking, "Was the woman in the tower your mother?"

"What did you say?!" Subaru grabbed her arm, more panicked than angry. "What do the hell do you know about her?"

He could not tell the girl that he had killed his own mother... Only when Christa had fallen into such despair and asked him again and again to put her out of her misery.

"Subaru, please, you're hurting me!" Yuuki yelped.

He loosened his grip on her elbow and she gently extracted it from his hold. She rubbed the spot where his fingertips had been. There would be bruises left behind.

"What do you want from me?" Subaru asked quietly. "What do you expect from someone as powerless, hideous and polluted as me?"

"Eh?"

The two stared at each other in silence before he drew her into an embrace.

_Ehhhh?!_

Yuuki was slow to react, even for her own standards. "Subaru?"

"Shut up and keep quiet," the vampire hissed without breaking the hug. Unsure of what to do with her hands, she clutched the sides of his shirt.

"You asked me why I gave you the knife... It was so you could kill me should I every want you to."

Yuuki jerked her head back in surprise. "But I couldn't possibly -"

"If you are incapable of that, then you can use it to end yourself." He brushed her platinum blonde hair out of her face and rested his hand on her cheek.

"You owe me at least that much," he said softly before pushing her away - causing her to stumble backward - and disappearing.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** Did you know that hearts contain memories? Well, technically, almost all your organs do - you're sending chemical messages to them all the time. But hearts and brains are special =3 It would be pretty scary if scientists could figure out everything you did in your lifetime just by observing your tissues. They probably can.

Murder scene remained mostly intact since it was pretty powerful in the anime anyway - the sons act a little less creepy this time... I would like to point out that Ayato is the only one that murdered out of hatred, but he's unlikely to hurt those he truly cares for. The others, however, were driven by their desire for _motherly_ love and approval. Shu is the only one with a clean record - despite all the responsibilities he was expected to bear, he was a "pampered" child compared to his brothers.

You know, if I didn't already decide to go down the Ayato arc, I'd have chosen Subaru. Sorry for cutting out his blood-sucking scene in case any of you actually liked it. I, however, want his actions towards Yuuki to mean something more than his primal desires.

**Edit:** I just realized that it's incredibly strange that Cordelia's dress would have survived after Kanato set it on fire. Please imagine the last half of the scene with her wearing a random bathrobe instead of her signature outfit (we'll just assume there was one conveniently within her vicinity).


	16. Warmth

_Does Subaru... love me?_ Yuuki wondered to herself, sorely unable to catch some much-needed z's.

The mattress sank as more weight shifted onto it just as she began to contemplate her recent insomnia. She sat up to look at whoever had slipped under the covers and joined her.

"Ayato?"

"Don't look at me."

"But-"

"Quiet," the vampire ordered as he pushed her back down with one arm. He left it lying limply on top of her as he pressed his forehead against her back. "Don't disobey me."

His other arm wormed underneath her. She squeaked when it got to close too her chest, so he moved it to more neutral territory toward her stomach. He wasn't really planning to lay beside her all day, right?

_I'm being spooned by a murderer._ Yuuki thought wide-eyed, her body tense.

"Relax, Yuuki." The vampire shifted his other arm so that his hand rested on her exposed elbow instead. "Just let me stay like this for awhile."

Ayato's touch was cold - like the others - yet electrifying. Yuuki shivered at the intimacy. Then her fear turned into annoyance.

"_Don't disobey me," he said. Are you kidding me?_

Yuuki rolled over in spite.

"What the hell are you doing, pancake?" Ayato mumbled irritably, eyelids shooting open. He had only begun to doze off.

"Getting comfortable," she answered, unfazed.

"Didn't I tell you-"

"Shh," she commanded, placing her right hand on his cheek.

It was the same one she had slapped in what seemed to be so long ago. Her sorbet eyes wandered on it before looking directly at Ayato's haunting green ones. Normally, they were filled with blithe humor whenever his gaze fell upon his plaything - namely herself. Now, he regarded her with some dark, unreadable intensity.

Was he having trouble sleeping too?

"Have you forgiven me?" Yuuki asked almost inaudibly, hand still caressing his face.

Ayato didn't answer and instead closed his eyes. He was leaning into the warmth of her palm without even moving a muscle.

"Answer me."

The vampire simply pulled her closer by her waist and she didn't find the resolve in herself to resist. "Don't be an idiot. Why do you think I'm sleeping with you?"

His answer was irritating. So she wrapped her arms around him in defiance.

"Ayato..."

"Hmm," he answered sleepily. A wetness was soaking his shirt. "What's up, pancake?"

"Promise that you won't hurt me."

He pulled back to look at the girl, surprised to see hot tears streaming down her face. He smiled and wiped one away and kissed the other. "Idiot, it hurts every time I bite."

Yuuki continued to gently glare at him, still unsatisfied.

Ayato sighed and grumbled, "Yeah, sure, whatever. It's not like I'd ever hurt you for real, you know."

That was enough.

"Besides, I'd protect you from anything that tried to take you from me," he added with an uncharacteristic dose of sincerity, much to her amazement. "So don't act so scared of me."

She welled up with emotion. Her lecherous plan use him as a shield had succeeded without her even having to lower herself to execute it... Ayato protected her dignity without even knowing it and he relief at receiving his reassurance nearly choked her.

"Possessive freak." Yuuki teased as she buried her face into his chest again and, _for some strange reason_, her body relaxed.

The logical side of her cursed her folly, but she didn't really care. She had heard his unspoken promise of infinity.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** A little extra fluff added to this scene. I desperately need Yuuki to harbor certain emotions so that her actions later on in the story _actually make sense._ Hope y'all like it ;)


	17. Answers

Richter stared at the moonlight reflected on the still lake's surface. The shifting light possessed an ethereal quality that forebode the dark events that had yet to occur.

"_Hurry and wake, my darling Cordelia,_" he mumbled with an anxious mixture of desperation and excitement.

* * *

><p>A sharp pulse roused Yuuki from her fitful slumber.<p>

__Ng. What's wrong with me?__ She placed her hand over her heart and rubbed the spot.__ Should I go see a doctor?__

The recent series of cardiac shocks seriously worried the young girl.

The last time she experienced heart failure, she had needed to undergo surgery. The medical personnel later informed her father that her case had been particularly challenging to treat. Miraculously, they found a donor that Yuuki's fragile body could accept and the organ transplant had saved her life... Thinking back on it, she had narrowly avoided death multiple times now.

After dressing herself, the petite blonde decided to roam around the property for the sake of fresh air. Yuuki tried to think positively about her current situation. She really shouldn't stress herself out any more than necessary.

_At_ least I'm free to move around as I please.__ Yuuki pointed out. _As_ long as I don't try to escape, that is... Sigh. __

She tried to be an optimist. She really did. But there was really no brighter side to lifetime captivity.

No, her romantic flutterings towards Ayato were _not_ helping her case. They only added on to her developing Stockholm Syndrome. It was the first time she started to notice a boy, really. So why did it have to turn out like this? Why must it feel so utterly wrong? Being attracted to a guy you lived with was problematic in the first place. Entertaining such thoughts about a vampire? No way in hell. And her recent interactions with Subaru further complicated matters.

For half an hour, Yuuki walked alongside the lake with these troubling thoughts until she discovered an outdoor room. Annoyed at the disturbance, a group of bats attacked her before flying off into the night.

"Stop making so much noise," someone complained from inside. She recognized the voice instantly.

"Is that you, Shu?" Yuuki peered into the open entrance. He was reading a magazine of sorts.

"Do you need anything?" Shu grumbled without looking away from whatever was in his lap. His tone indicated that he wasn't really asking but Yuuki decided to confide in him anyway. He was the current head of the family, after all. Maybe she could convince him to arrange a trip to the doctor's office.

"I'm sorry to disturb you." She stepped closer. "Um, I... something's been wrong with me lately. My chest has been cramping up a lot more recently and I've been having these hallucinations. I can hear the voice of a woman who isn't there. I just don't feel like myself."

"Eh?" Shu replied with an exaggerated monosyllable. "And what do you want me to do about it?"

"Uhh." Yuuki blushed. "I just wondered if you... I thought I should report it since you're the eldest and all."

He sent a half-annoyed sideways glance at her and removed his ever-present earbuds. For Shu, that meant serious business. Seriously.

"... I'll tell you something good if I get something in return."

"Really? What do you want?" The logical side of her warned her to approach with caution.

"Let me have another taste. "

__Eh?! Well, I guess I have to pay a price if I want his help. __After some hesitation, she nodded at his terms.

"Come here." He laid down the magazine.

__Oh, it's a music book. __Yuuki thought as she sat down and gathered her fair hair to one side.

"Your neck isn't the only place blood is supplied to," the vampire stated, picking up her hand. Yuuki twitched reflexively when he bit into his wrist.

"Uh, sorry. Not used to being bitten there."

"Mm. Your blood has changed," he noted with a grunt. "It seems that the Awakening is at hand."

"The awakening?"

"It's hot and bursting now."

Yuuki blinked. __Isn't blood always hot and bursting? I'm a living human being after all.__

"It's different." __I swear they're mind readers. __"I can tell through you skin. It smells so good," he whispered. She swiftly pulled her hand back.

The petite blonde looked at him apologetically hoping that she didn't inadvertently offend him. "I only offered a taste, right?"

"Fair enough. You have the blood of finest quality, I'll give you that much."

Yuuki pouted. __I don't know whether or not to take it as a compliment. It's like being compared to high-grade sushi... Or wine, if that makes me feel any better. Actually, chocolate___. Yum. Chocolate. _Her mind had effectively gone off track.

"So _this_ is the Awakening." Shu chuckled. "Women are terrifying... I'm all worked up in spite of myself."

_Ignoring that last bit, thank you very much._

"What's this awakening thing you keep mentioning?"

"No mortal has ever survived to the point of awakening." Shu mused while getting up onto his feet.

"Oh, wow. That explains _soo_ much." Yuuki rolled her eyes. "We had a deal, right? I think I deserve a little bit more information..."

He frowned at her. She raised her brows expectantly.

The young adult exhaled with a twinge of annoyance and reluctantly conceded to her demand.

"You know how the legends say that humans turn into vampires if they are bitten?"

_Well, considering the fact that I'm the same old me..._

"Debunking that dumb myth. What's your point?"

"Actually, it's based off a true phenomena."

"Umm, Shu?" She pressed a thumb against the fresh bite marks. "I haven't exactly been craving blood since I came here and still feeling pretty human."

"It's a long and gradual process, kid. Each noble vampire that feeds on you tries to devour your entire being. Eventually, your human side is supposed to be completely consumed. You've already allowed most of us to taste your blood so I'm not surprised your condition has been accelerated."

Her guts twisted slightly as dread filled her the pit of her stomach.

"... You mean to say that I won't be human for much longer? That I'll become... I'll become a monster, too?"

"No, I'm saying you don't have much longer to live, period."

She clutched her bleeding wrist tighter until the pressure was almost unbearable. "Pardon?"

_THIS is your good news?_

"In reality, it's impossible for a complete transformation to occur. Simply because you weak humans can't handle it. Yes, the phenomena exists up until the point where they die, but none have ever turned even if they have been carefully kept alive by their supernatural masters for as long as possible."

Yuuki drew a breath and her gaze flitted around the out-door room as she mentally tried to find solace in the news of her upcoming demise. But she could handle this truth, right? She lived every day thinking it would be her last anyway.

"If nobody has ever turned, how can you say a transformation was going to happen in the first place? What if it's just a curse - every victim is bound to die eventually regardless of whether the vampire continues to drink their blood or not!"

He lazily twirled the earbuds around in the air like a mini lasso and shifted his weight to one hip. "There have been a few cases where other types of supernatural creatures have survived all the way through it. That's why we know for sure that it happens. But it's extremely rare. We aren't meant to feed on anything other than you mortals."

The eldest brother stretched. "It's a good thing, too. Imagine what would happen to our social structure if we had these lesser beings joining our population left and right?"

"The Zombie Apocalypse?" Yuuki mumbled icily.

Shu shook his head. "Vampire blood should never be tainted by other races. It's a blessing that the sacrificial brides die when they do."

"Sacrificial bride, huh?" She pursed her lips in a momentary silence. "Hey, what's the real reason I'm here? Does my father have a connection to your family?"

"Yeah, that's enough chit-chat for me, kiddo." The vampire popped the earphones back into their usual nesting spot. "He can answer the rest of your questions."

"Who?"

"Why don't you come on out already?" Shu called towards the door-less entry.

"You were always very perceptive," a stranger commented, revealing his presence.

Yuuki stood up in surprise. It was the man from her visions. The one who had been doting on Ayato's mother.

Shu gave her a brief introduction, "Lord Richter, our unwelcome guest," and proceeded to picking up his music book.

Richter chuckled dryly. He had the air of one of those insincere gentlemen that stereotypically populated the upper classes. "Come now, Shu. I left your father's side willingly. Though I can't say that we parted on the best terms, it's not like I was banished from this family."

"True, but you were always up to no good." The younger vampire's eyes narrowed slightly. "You've been snooping around lately and don't think I haven't noticed. Please don't cause any unnecessary nuisances, uncle, since I'll be held responsible. You know how much I adore a ruckus... "

_Whoa-ho! Is it just me or is Shu actually actively hostile towards this guy?_

"Oh, and feel free to enter through the front door next time." Shu said unenthusiastically before leaving the two alone in a slightly shocked silence.

Richter finally addressed Yuuki, "I apologize for my nephews' behavior. I tried to teach them some manners when they were young. Alas, it was a fruitless endeavor."

She laughed awkwardly. "Don't worry, I've gotten used to it."

"How unfortunate. So, what is it that you wanted to know?"

"Um, I... I want to know why I came here," she answered shyly. "Why I was chosen..."

"Chosen?" Richter countered suddenly. "What a conceited notion! You were simply sent here because you're of suitable age and were the easiest mortal to obtain."

He lied. But she didn't need to know that.

"Then, my father -"

"That priest, if I'm not mistaken? This does not involve anyone as inferior as him," he dismissed casually.

Yuuki breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank God."

_So he really didn't know about __any of __this! Of course, he would never betray me. Why did I ever doubt him?_

"Ah. You know my father?"

"Not personally. I have many connections for the sake of serving the royal family. I believe I may have come across his name before..."

"_Komori_. His name is Seiji Komori. I'm his adopted daughter, Yuuki."

Richter's expression darkened. "Yes. I'm well aware of your circumstances... _Cordelia_."

Yuuki's heart started throbbing once again at the mention of the name, and her body lost the strength to keep her steady. The vampire made no move to help her, smiling as she writhed in pain.

"Finally! Ah. How long I have waited for this moment!" Richter declared with his arms outstretched triumphantly. "Now, awaken, my sweet."

The glint in Yuuki's eyes disappeared as she returned to a trance-like state, as per the usual pattern. Richter knelt in front of her before offered his hand.

* * *

><p>The two made a detour to retrieve the diary and the photograph that Yuuki had hidden away in her bedchamber before returning to the room that had been sealed off once upon a time.<p>

"There is no need for this anymore." Richter stated coldly, turning the objects into sand. Planting them in this room had been a wonderful idea. It ensured that the girl would keep returning to the spot on her own so that he could easily draw her there when the time was right.

Yuuki gazed on with unfeeling eyes. She walked past the older vampire and stopped in front of the secret entrance, waiting for the bookcase to slide open.

"There's no need to hesitate." Richter said once they were inside. "That dress belongs to you."

The moment she touched the large white rose embellishment, Yuuki felt her consciousness being overtaken by another. Her soul nearly suffocated in the spiritual darkness as the foreign being reached out and choked her into submission.

Yuuki's body turned to face Richter. The vibrant glimmer had returned to the pair of sorbet eyes, but they were not her own.

"We meet again." Cordelia's voice trilled from Yuuki's lips.

Richter bowed. "Most beloved Cordelia. I cannot express how happy I am to see you, my Queen."

The newly-possessed Yuuki looked down at her bloodied hand. Cordelia cackled elegantly, pleased at her reanimation. She spread her arms out like wings and expanded her consciousness until the whole estate became aware of her aura.

The Vampire Queen was _back_. Of course she was going to announce the happy news.

Kanato looked at his teddy bear in disbelief as he was the first to recognize the incredibly familiar presence. "That can't be...?"

Instinctively, all the Sakamaki brothers felt the change and stopped their respective activities.

"Oi." Ayato called out as he burst into Yuuki's bedroom unceremoniously. The vampire found empty sheets where he had left his sleeping human earlier. He crouched on the floor in frustration, hands tangled in his hair, weight resting on his toes.

"Dammit! Don't go disappearing from my sight, pancake."

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** I apologize for that random burp of humor - I was craving chocolate. I'm very pleased, however, that I was able to salvage most of Shu's lines while effectively changing the atmosphere of the scene. In the anime, Yui just kind of laid there and didn't really do sh*t. I think Shu should possess a hint of trustworthiness, since he's not really evil. Just incredibly lazy. I utterly failed at the resurrection scene though. You may kill me now.

**Edit: **Added a ton of new dialogue and it totally changed my portrayal of Shu. Wow. I'm just a little overwhelmed at what a difference it made. Is it still consistent with his character? I dunno, really, so I'll just sit here with my fingers crossed =_='


	18. Dominant Soul

Cordelia decided to change into a simple floor-length, strapless black number and paired it with a set of matching evening gloves.

"_It's not as gorgeous as what I'm accustomed to, but it will do. This body is too small for my old clothes._" Cordelia thought to herself as she touched the soft fabric.

She could, however, select accessories from her old jewelry collection. Her vanity pleased her immensely because she hadn't pampered herself in so long.

Being dead was not fun. Hardly as life-changing an experience as it was hyped up to be. To be fair, nobody ever came back to correct the masses after learning the boring truth.

"Mm..." Cordelia hummed as she stared at her naked self in front of the mirror. She placed Yuuki's hands on her chest and called out to the vampire standing outside. "That girl's not nearly as voluptuous as I was. Do you think this body will fill out?"

"Even if it does not, your beauty would not be diminished in the least... Anything that belongs to you is faultless."

"Yes, this figure is mine now." She chuckled. "I'm glad that you have no complaints with this virgin form, Richter. I think you will enjoy it."

When she was ready, he led her to a larger balcony and the two shared a moment together, finally reunited.

"This reminds me of the good old days," the coquette reminisced after a lull in their conversation.

Richter he turned his back to the view, resting his hands on the railing. "We would forget the time and just dance the night away."

"It's seems just like yesterday," she sighed happily.

The appearance of an older man and a much younger woman flirting wasn't the only disturbing thing about the scene.

"Cordelia," Richter hesitated, "my dearest sister-in-law..."

She placed a finger on his mouth to shush him. "You called me that intentionally."

"No, that fact is inescapable." He withdrew and took a step away from her. "I once fought with him over your affections. In an effort to forget your loveliness, I wandered the world for a hundred years."

"But why?" Cordelia asked, as if she found it all ridiculous. "There was no need to forget me."

"I felt troubled by my lusting after my brother's wife."

"You owed nothing to Karlheinz."

"Only a truly wicked woman could respond with an answer like that." Richter, however, was visibly amused.

"Oh, you're such a tease. I _am_ a wicked woman. Besides, it's all in the past now-"

"Hey, what's the meaning of this?!" Ayato demanded, interrupting the two lovebirds.

"Oh my. It's been awhile." Cordelia greeted calmly. Her son prickled at her voice.

"What have you done?" Ayato hissed, glaring at his uncle.

"It doesn't appear that you're here to say how pleased you are to see me again... Richter, you explain." Cordelia straightened and pressed her palm to her collarbone. "I'm not fully adjusted to this body yet. She shouldn't even be conscious but she's still trying to eject me. It's tiresome."

_Damn right, I am. Give me back my body, woman!_

"_Oh, isn't that language a tad impolite for a lady? Weren't you taught otherwise in church?"_

_Let's just say your sons have rubbed off on me._

"_Not at all. You've always been this abrasive deep down inside."_

Cordelia smiled as she walked past her youngest child, but Ayato's glare never faltered.

"What did you do to her?" Ayato demanded once again.

He had saved Cordelia from her sons, that's what. Richter had found Cordelia laying on the bed of roses with her gaze fixed on the lunar eclipse. When the dying woman noticed his presence, she asked him to tear out her heart and implant it in another body. It was her final request, and her parting words promised that she would meet him again. He closed her lifeless eyes after he completed the first task, a deed he committed with a frown, and bid his lover farewell.

"So the heart you removed is now within Yuuki."

"The girl is only a vessel. She still exists but once she fully awakens, her soul will be obliterated, leaving only Cordelia."

Taken aback, Ayato bared his fangs threateningly and left his uncle. He grew angry at the idea of the adults soiling what rightfully belonged to him.

Richter's punishment could wait. Everything would be lost if he let his witch-of-a-mother have her way.

* * *

><p>The resurrected siren was standing at the end of the deck when Ayato arrived as expected.<p>

"What will you do now?" Cordelia asked wryly, looking over her shoulder. "Will you try to kill me again?"

The petite blonde's battered soul stirred at his presence. The one existence she could never ignore, try as she might. _Ayato!_

"_Silence!" _Cordelia commanded. _"You're distracting. He can't even hear you."_

_Don't order me around, lady. _Yuuki sneered, all traces of her gentleness gone in the face of her possessor.

Ayato ignored his mother's taunting questions and looked out at the lake.

"I used to be a bad swimmer," he mused.

"Yes, I remember." Cordelia turned to face him so that she could watch his scowl deepen. "But you improved greatly thanks to me. You would have never learned to float if I hadn't thrown you into the water that day."

"Should I return the favor?" Ayato growled as he stalked towards the possessed girl.

"Surely," she giggled as she skipped backward, "you know that I'm an excellent swimmer."

Yuuki's consciousness inhaled sharply when she realized his plan. She dare not acknowledge it - dare not think about it openly so as not to alert her captor.

Cordelia barely registered what was going on when her half-blood son appeared right in front of her.

"Take a dip, Mother."

_Do it, Ayato._ Yuuki exclaimed mentally as she grappled with Cordelia's mind. _I'll hold her down, so hurry up!_

All it took was a light shove. Yuuki's weak body didn't put up much of a resistance against Ayato's strength. The two females toppled over and fell into the ice-cold water as one tragic package. Cordelia was shocked to find herself sinking.

"_This girl... She can't swim?!_"

_Unfortunately for you._

"_Foolish child! I'm taking you down with me!"_

_Be my guest._

Cordelia passed out. Yuuki lost part of her memory in the process of regaining control once again.

The youngest of the triplets looked away as Cordelia sank to her watery grave. Was Yuuki still alive somewhere inside there when he committed the deed? He clenched his jaw and turned to leave.

Ayato had never intended to betray Yuuki. The first time he'd tossed into a pool was to teach her a lesson so that she could _live_ harmoniously with him. How cruel the strings of destiny were - forcing him to drown her after saving her from that very fate. See if he would ever play such a prank again.

The vampire paused when he heard Yuuki's voice call out his name. She pulled her head up into his sight with considerable effort as the lake's gentle waves sloshed against her. It was a miracle that she'd managed to reach the wooden poles and use them to climb out of the lake.

"That you, pancake?"

"Who else?" Yuuki gasped. She clutched the edge of the deck as it started to slip away from her. "Hurry. I can't hold on much longer."

Ayato decided help the girl out regardless of the hint of doubt he felt regarding her true identity.

"Hold on, I'm coming."

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** Yuuki's incredibly callous in this chapter, but I think her inner struggle is fascinating. Yui doesn't have the balls to be so rude.

**Edit:** I made the interaction between Cordelia and Richter a tad more disturbing than in the canon (since Cordelia implies that she will continue to have sexual relations with him) because I wanted to portray just how violated Yuuki must feel by having her body stolen and used by someone else. And yes, you _should_ feel disgusted. That woman utterly lacks respect for others.


	19. Lose Control

"Why was I in the lake? And this dress..." Yuuki inquired once she was settled safely on the grassy bank beside her quote-unquote _savior_, as he referred to himself.

Eye-roll. Well, she did genuinely appreciate his help with hauling her up and out of harm's way. And the vampire didn't really seem to mind her coughing spasm that took place afterward, which was not attractive in the least. In fact, he had even gone so far as aid in her attempts to expel the unwanted water out of her system with many reassuring thumps and pats.

Now they were sprawled out side-by-side, catching their breaths and letting the adrenaline rush die down. His blazer protected her from the night air that attacked her damp skin and clothes.

She just couldn't make sense of his gentle treatment. Why was he suddenly tending to her like some sort of helplessly dependent baby? Where did the-most-irritating-guy-on-the-planet go?

Ayato didn't respond to her question and instead drew closer to her as she was squeezing drops of water out of her hair.

_Uhh, personal space?_ Yuuki inwardly squawked. She let go of the stringy lock that was curled around her finger and tilted away from his dangerously bright gaze.

"I'm so unbelievably parched," he whispered, making a different kind of shiver run down her spine. "Let me drink your blood."

"Wha-?!" Yuuki cried out, thoroughly startled as he pushed her down and bit her without any further warning.

"Holy-" Ayato stammered after swallowing a mouthful.

"Ayato, what are you doing? Stop it," she spluttered, more out of surprise than actual rejection. Her hands, glued to his chest, made knots out of his shirt whenever the fangs piercing her skin were too much.

The vampire's chuckle rumbled under her ear.

"W-what's so funny?" Yuuki asked in the literal voice of death.

"Tasted like lake at first." He licked the wound and her nerves flared up in response. "You're blood's incredibly filling now. There's no comparison."

Shu said something similar, didn't he? The memory of talking to the eldest brother felt fuzzy and far away.

"Ng! Wait, you're drinking more than usual. Ah-!"

He paused once more to leave a trail of kisses on the side of her neck. The blazer fell off her shoulders as she squirmed under him.

"I've never felt like this," he confessed, sighing through his nose. The faint breath tickled her unhappy wound.

She closed her eyes and turned her face away, burying one cheek in the moist dirt. "Ayato, I-"

His hand moved to cradle her skull until his fingertips brushed against her outer ear and the grass. "I could want nothing more if I can just have this."

Ayato sucked a little too aggressively, causing Yuuki to whimper. He pulled back at the provocative noise.

"You belong to me." The vampire smiled in self satisfaction.

She knew she should deny such an arrogant claim.

"Your blood, your heart, your body, your soul. Your everything."

She knew, but somehow her voice couldn't produce any words.

"I only have one desire. Devote your blood and your life to me," he continued, "and I will do the same."

Yuuki, utterly stunned by his profession of love, failed to resist. She was mortified and flattered at the same time. He leaned in to give her a kiss... And was stopped just a hairsbreadth away from her lips.

"Hmm, I see~" an annoying-ass voice butt in.

Ayato growled at the interruption as he slowly detached himself from his human.

"What do we have here? Ayato and Koinu-cchi, sitting in a tree. K-I-S-S-I-N-G?"

Yuuki looked up to see that Laito and Kanato had joined them, and felt foolish for being caught in the compromising position she was currently in.

"I thought it was weird. The tiniest whiff of her blood smelled so sweet that it nearly drove me crazy." Kanato added.

_Really? I'm pretty sure you were crazy even before I came here._

Ayato understood the feeling but wasn't about to share. He stood up to glare at his two older brothers.

"Teddy, it was really hard to restrain ourselves, wasn't it?"

"Pancake," the youngest of the triplets said under his breath. "You'll catch a cold if you stay out any longer... _Go_."

Yuuki righted herself and gave Ayato one last look before turning to run back in the direction of the mansion. Ayato immediately moved to block the path she had taken.

"It's not nice to be greedy, little brother." Laito warned with a tone akin to a purr.

"I want to taste her too, you know." Kanato pouted angrily. "It's not fair - you both have had a turn already."

"Shut up." Ayato responded, narrowing his eyes at the pair. "Keep your hands off of her. She's mine."

* * *

><p>Yuuki rushed into her bedroom and yanked her other night stand's drawer open. She needed her one shard of protection now more than ever.<p>

_I'm so stupid! Why didn't I just carry this around with me everywhere?_

"Stop smelling like that." Subaru snarled, grabbing her from behind. The petite blonde yelped in fright and dropped the knife.

_Thud_. He let go of her at the sound of metal striking the carpeted floor. Her legs, however, didn't have the ability to hold her weight anymore.

The girl landed next to the bed, her hands latching onto the mattress to soften her descent. She half-wanted to crawl under the sheets right then and there, sopping clothes and all. Any dream would be better than this nightmare.

"Have you become afraid of us now?" Subaru asked as he picked up the weapon.

"That's wrong!" Yuuki exclaimed, yet her expression was one of despair. "But, if I carry that with me, I don't know what I'd do..."

Subaru gazed down at the pitiful sight before him. Kneeling on the ground and sobbing into her folded arms, she seemed even smaller than usual.

"Keep it," he said, tossing the knife onto the mattress before vanishing. If he stayed any longer, he'd be in danger of attacking her himself.

"It is your blood that drives them mad." Richter explained, announcing his presence. "Your nearly-awakened heart fascinates them and makes them lose control."

He teleported closer, forcing the girl to turn her head towards his direction.

"Each will become frantic to make you their own, leading to an ugly conflict which will definitely cause many of their deaths."

"What should I do?" Yuuki asked in a horrified whisper.

"The answer will come to you. It will feel like destiny."

He threw open her glass doors to reveal Cordelia's spirit waiting for her on the balcony.

"All you must do is accept it."

Yuuki's chest pulsed with recognition. She fell into a trance and stood up, wiping the tears off her face.

Cordelia stretched her hand out to the petite blonde. This time, the girl would give herself up completely. The moment their palms joined, Yuuki collapsed onto her knees and she assumed a position that made her appear like she was praying.

"The time of complete awakening has finally arrived." Richter declared in excitement. "Arise, Cordelia!"

Yuuki smiled and opened her eyes. They were green.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** This scene barely changed, lol... Btw, Cordelia's eyes are green, like Ayato and Laito. Yui's are sorbet pink on the other hand.

Also, Yuuki considered it a profession of love simply because that's what she wanted it to be. That's not really what Ayato was saying, because he's confused about the feeling in general. As in, Ayato has a totally twisted perception about love nor would he recognize it if he ever felt it. Not that he's ever confused about his feelings, the cocky bastard. But he truly does love Yuuki back, so I guess this explanation is unnecessary. Whatever. This story is twisted as it is.


	20. With a Sense of Finality

"That's right." Cordelia giggled in response to something Richter had said. She was reclining on a chaise as she waited for a maid to finish preparing the bath, a glass of wine in her hand in total disregard for the fact that Yuuki was still a minor. The male vampire sat at the other end.

"What have we here? I had heard that our uncle had a visitor, but I never imagined that it would be you."

"Ah, Reiji. It's good to see that you are doing well."

He was standing downstairs while the two relaxed from the elevated platform.

"If you weren't so stiff," Cordelia continued, "You would look just like Karlheinz from when I first met him."

"Please do not unnecessarily invoke my father's name." Reiji replied with a biting edge to his polite vocabulary. "I find it offensive."

Everyone knew that he revered Karlheinz over everyone and everything else. A snake like Cordelia had no right to associate with such an accomplished person. Her presence in the family was practically an insult to the Sakamaki name.

Cordelia smiled seductively. "Don't be stand-offish. Come closer."

"For what motive, may I ask?"

"Can I not look upon my husband's son without suspicion?"

"Hm. It's apparent that scheming comes as naturally as breathing to you." Reiji appeared upon the platform anyway.

She pushed some of her still-wet hair back. "Oh? Did I come off as dishonest?"

"Don't be so concerned, milady. You could never betray my trust." Because he never trusted her in the first place.

Her expression told him that she found his comment amusing. "Then, do you want to know my greatest weakness?"

"You would volunteer such information freely? My, there is no limit to your recklessness."

"You could cause me no harm by learning it."

"Is that so? Pray tell."

"The thing that scares me the most is... boredom. Boredom is the most painful thing that immortals like us must bear. Wouldn't you agree?"

"Yes, you have a point. Certainly, boredom doesn't suit you." The younger vampire adjusted his glasses. "Death suits you much better."

"I'll take that as a compliment," she said, although her eyes narrowed slightly. Cordelia gestured to an armchair. "Won't you come sit?"

Reiji remained still.

"What's this? Are you acting defensive?" She laughed. "In that sense, you're just like Beatrix... Oh my, did I hit a nerve? Your mother didn't seem to love you as much as her eldest son, so I assumed you wouldn't mind if I poked fun at her."

Cordelia was wrong. Reiji had learned in his mother's final moments that she had in fact loved him. Beatrix accepted her death happily. The reason for her neglect of him in the first place was because of the manipulative bitch that stood in front of him. It was _Cordelia_ who had robbed him of all his desires by competing with the second wife, by pitting her youngest against Shu for her own selfish pride.

"I see. So this is how you turned my father and his brother against each other."

"Are you implying that_ I _tore them apart?" Cordelia swooned, pretending to be offended. "It's as if you're suggesting I'm the root of all evil!"

"I wouldn't rule out the possibility, daughter of the Demon Lord."

"Hahaha. Well, it may be true that I was the... _reason_ that their once-friendly relationship deteriorated."

"No. Their relationship couldn't have been that strong if it could be destroyed by a woman like you."

Richter's eyes darkened at the comment.

"You are quite observant for a son of Beatrix." She stood up and sauntered over to Reiji.

"Your piercing red eyes are just like my husband's," the adulteress noted as she adjusted his pristine tie. "I will tell you a secret out of the respect of those eyes. I came back to life in order to take revenge upon your father. He shall pay with his life."

Her sultry words hardly affected him. Karlheinz had golden eyes, after all.

"Revenge for not loving you back?"

"My desire to kill him is the greatest proof of my love, child."

"So, in other words, you intend to force your love onto him whether he wants it or not."

Cordelia frowned for the first time. "You certainly are fond of speaking out of turn. And here I wanted to enjoy our reunion."

Reiji nearly face-palmed but his decorum kept him from doing so. "Please do not toy with me."

"Why not? We have all the time in the world."

"And what of my uncle?" He nodded at Richter.

"Ah, that man doesn't object to anything I choose to do." Cordelia said as she stood on her tip-toes to plant a kiss on him.

"I think I'll pass." Reiji said, pulling away from her at the last second. "I am not interested in corrupt women with loose morals."

A slap resounded loudly in the room and the air grew still.

This son of a bitch! How dare he insult his queen, the first wife?

Reiji blinked as his cheek stung from the impact although the blow itself was relatively weak. His vision was a blur, and when he touched his face, he found that her slap hand sent his spectacles flying... What a royal nuisance.

"C'mon, let's not fight," a relaxed voice called out to distill the tension. "We're family after all. It would be unpleasant to have to go through that brawl again."

"Laito," Cordelia acknowledged, swallowing her rage.

He brushed some dirt off his clothes and grinned. "I thought that the next time I saw you would be in Hell."

"I'm sorry I didn't live up to your expectations," she trilled, setting her elbows on the railing as she took in the sight of her handsome eldest son.

"Not at all. This is better." Laito admitted, as Kanato walked up behind him. Cordelia smiled brightly at the purple-haired teenager.

"My sweet little songbird. Sing for me, like you once did with your beautiful voice."

"Mother? But how?"

"It doesn't matter." Subaru interrupted. His venomous glare made it clear that the two adults were unwelcome. "Neither of you belong here anymore. Get lost before either of you get hurt."

The air grew slightly hostile at the youngest vampire's appearance.

"Your bluff is pretty convincing," his uncle replied as he walked over to Cordelia, "despite your inability to protect your own mother from herself, Subaru."

"Shut up!" Subaru snapped, jumping up to attack. Richter blocked his punch and dodged his kick before Subaru's momentum caused him to fall gracefully back down to the bottom floor.

"You think such a pathetic attack would hurt us? Pah. None of you can hope to rival me," the older vampire said haughtily.

Reiji, still stationed behind Cordelia, picked up his glasses and walked away, evidently bored of watching them.

"Are you sure about that?" Shu challenged from the sofa set downstairs. "To Karlheinz, you don't even register as a rival."

"Is this the best entertainment you can provide?" Cordelia complained from her spot, cutting through the atmosphere with her shallow commentary. She might as well snack on potato chips while she was at it. "You people are as dull as ever."

She handed Richter a trinket of hers. "Dispose of them."

The elder vampire studied the weapon with interest. "I believe this was Christa's knife. One stab is all that it takes."

"Yes. These children will disintegrate instantly without any pain." Cordelia smiled charmingly. "That's the extent of my love for them."

"Hmm... Do you swear to make me the next head of the family if I kill them?"

"Of course," she responded triumphantly.

"That's strange." Cordelia's expression fell and she looked up at the vampire beside her in concern.

"Wasn't that already one of our terms of agreement when I saved you as you lay dying?" Richter elaborated. "You swore that you would put me on the throne."

"Richter," the lady replied smoothly, sliding up against his arm. "I will do absolutely anything you desire. Now hurry up and get rid of those boys... Do it for me."

He glanced down at her with a hint of disgust.

"You are a fool."

She took a step back in shock. "E-Excuse me?"

"You are useless to me in your current condition."

"Richter! Did you plan to betray me like this ever since I entrusted you with my heart?" Cordelia cried out, angered by his coldness.

"Did you only just realize it? It was not you who was using me, but the other way around."

"Damn you!" Cordelia cursed as she ripped her arm away from him. "I gave you everything that you ever wanted from me."

Richter couldn't care less. "Your mistake."

She turned around to leave, feeling sore and violated. That bath would do her well right now. She wanted to wash away all the harassed emotions immediately.

Richter, however, had other plans. The sacrificial bride wasn't going to do whatever she pleased anymore.

The traitor grabbed Cordelia, spinning her body towards his feet like a mere doll. He yanked her up just as she was about to hit the floor so that she hovering only a few inches off the carpet. She gasped as her disoriented vision focused on the ceiling. Richter moved in for the bite.

"_Oi_!"

The uncle glanced sideways. "Look who showed up late to the party."

"Leave her the fuck alone." Ayato bellowed, livid. His stance indicated that he was about to pounce. "She belongs to me. Don't touch her without my permission!"

"_God, I thought we dealt with him already._" Kanato muttered under his breath.

"_It's fine. Love drives men forward._" Laito said gently. "_Besides, it looks like Koinu-cchi got herself into a fix._"

In the meanwhile, Richter thrust Cordelia against himself and he drew a sword from his black scabbard. He brandished it at Ayato. "Don't get in my way!"

"Let go of me, you fiend!" Cordelia yelped as he jumped forward. Nobody seemed to care about her discomfort and Richter re-buried her face into his chest. Muffled by the rough manhandling, she ceased to complain.

Ayato just barely dodged and Richter's warning attack which lopped off a few good inches of his tie.

"Yo, little bro. It's one-on-one this time so don't disappoint us." Laito called out, tossing Ayato a sword of his own to level out the playing field.

"What do you mean one-one-one?" Subaru asked, cracking his knuckles as he appeared behind Richter. "I'm here, too."

"Stay out of this." Ayato roared as he swung at his uncle. Metal clashed against metal with a large, unattractive clang. "This is my fight."

"Just putting it out there - please refrain from destroying the house." Shu commented lazily from the sidelines. "I don't want to be bothered with cleaning up afterward."

"Would you like some tea, Shu?" Reiji asked sarcastically. Obviously, post-battle clean up would be left to him alone while his older brother lounged around carelessly.

"You children are clearly not taking this seriously." Richter grunted as he engaged Ayato in a series of intense flurries.

The younger vampire was quickly pushed back in the ensuing duel, mostly because he couldn't attack while Richter was using Yuuki's body as a human shield. His uncle was playing dirty. Like he always did.

It would be suicide to join in the heated foray so the others kept their distance. If one opponent failed, another brother could easily take his place.

Ayato found himself against the wall and Richter stabbed his nephew's shoulder. Cordelia watched blood gush out in horror.

"_NO!_" It was Yuuki's voice. Her rose-colored eyes were quaking in mortal terror. "I..."

The pause was enough. Yuuki seized the silver knife tucked in Richter's belt and fled to the closest staircase, glancing back at the shock-frozen Ayato over her shoulder as she did so. She closed her eyes and jumped down to the landing to face the crowd.

"Pancak-"

Her hands trembled as she pointed the knife at her own chest. Every fiber of her being screamed against the thing she resolved to do.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU-?!"

"Now no one will get hurt." Yuuki mumbled before she stabbing herself. The entire household as her witnessed the act in horrified, pin-drop silence.

Ayato caught her before she fell back onto the ground. His uncle was the second to react.

"The heart is mine!" Richter exclaimed, sword prepared for the final blow, but Ayato stabbed the older vampire in the abdomen.

Richter toppled over and Ayato quickly returned his attention to the unconscious girl in his arms.

He shook her frantically. "Hey! Stay with me here!"

"Stop, you'll aggravate her wound."

"Shh, she's coming back."

To his extreme disappointment, cruel green eyes greeted him instead of sweet pink ones.

Cordelia giggled bitterly. "Only idiots would stab themselves like that. It's only a matter of time before she dies and her body will be all mine!"

The adulteress then passed out.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** Wow. There were practically _no_ changes in my revised version. I'm really quite shocked at how decent this episode was. The minor differences? Cordelia doesn't actually end up kiss Reiji like the pedobear creep that she is, and some of the rambling was modified...

Since Cordelia doesn't end up changing her dress after her night-time dive, I added the part about the bath. Also hoping that Yuuki's self-sacrifice makes more sense now. I just found both of those details incredibly strange in the anime.


	21. Reawaken

"I can't believe she'd give up her chance to go to a better place for our sake..." Laito remarked with a respectful tip of his hat, the first to break the silence that descended upon the group.

Despite going around the house claiming that it would be a lot nicer to be dead than live amongst a gang of vampires, Yuuki always rejected the idea whenever anyone suggested that she should just end her own misery. Life, according to the petite blonde, was a gift from God. Why would she jeopardize her right to the eternal reward of paradise for the "permanent solution" to her temporary struggle in this life?

No, suicide did not suit a girl with so much spiritual vitality and strength. Even when she was hindered by her weak physical condition, even when she was lonely and depressed, Yuuki always tried her best to _live_. To keep rolling regardless of what the universe threw at her.

"She's certainly a handful." Shu agreed solemnly.

Kanato hugged his teddy bear, evidently upset by the scene before him. "Will she disappear? To be honest, I had grown quite fond of her."

The question introduced a second tense quiet. Their collective perspective towards Yuuki had changed because of her act of self sacrifice.

Some of the boys tried to shake off the feeling, but the fact was inescapable.

"Subaru." Ayato mumbled, his bangs covering his eyes from view. He hated how his brothers were acting like Yuuki was a goner. "Can I pull this thing out now?"

"Wait," the youngest vampire urged. "I'll do it myself."

* * *

><p>While everyone was distracted with the fallen human, their uncle took the opportunity to escape to the underground waterway. Lord Richter was bleeding heavily from the deep wound Ayato delivered at the last second.<p>

That sword had been laced with anti-vampire elements, hadn't it? It wasn't nearly as potent as the silver knife, but the damage it inflicted was enough to pack a punch on his immortality.

"I cannot perish yet." Richter gasped as he stumbled towards a spiraling staircase.

The scene was strongly reminiscent of the time Cordelia stumbled through the halls in search of help... the night that she had first died.

But after losing someone so irreplaceable, it hardly mattered what trash like Richter attempted to do.

"Her face is getting whiter." Kanato observed with a sense of muted hysteria.

They had laid Yuuki down on a sofa and each minute that ticked by added to their dread.

"Isn't there a way to drive the bitch out of her?" Ayato asked Shu. "We can't let that demonic snake win in the end."

The eldest didn't reply, his expression grave and distant. Nobody could blame him for spacing out.

"Snake?" Kanato asked. "_A Lion, A Snake, A Mare, A Swan_... Wait, Yuuki couldn't possibly be _the_ Sacrificial Bride, right?"

Laito glanced at his younger twin. "From the prophecy?"

"Yes, exactly. The pride - that's us, the nation of the vampires. And the Lion must be father since he's the king."

"The Snake is our mother?" Laito added, realization growing in his face.

Kanato nodded. "Lady Beatrix is the Mare because she was noble and strong. And the Swan-"

"Christa." Subaru finished. "Because of her delicate grace and beauty."

"Then, if we go in order, I guess Shu is the bear, Reiji is the tiger, Laito is the fox, and I'm the bird - oh! _songbird_ - and Ayato is the dragon and Subaru is the lone wolf. So, the sheep must be all the humans that we've killed so far!" There was something so excitingly profound about discovering the answer to a centuries-old enigma. Kanato's expression suddenly darkened as he reminded himself of the tragic reality. "And Yuuki... She's the real bride."

"How ironic." Reiji noted as he left the room. "That the Sacrificial Bride would use her power to end herself and try to protect the lives of everyone else."

Ayato crouched down to hold one of her pale hands in apprehension.

"_You can't just kill yourself off, pancake. I won't let you._" The vampire thought, far more annoyed at himself than the present situation.

He looked at her gentle face and wondered how anyone could harm such a creature. It was a level of heartlessness that even he didn't possess. He felt like he betrayed her trust somehow by letting her get to this state.

Six words chimed incessantly in his head like a bell - "_Promise that you won't hurt me."_

It was the first thing she had seriously asked of him. Yet here he was, the one who had vowed to protect her, totally helpless.

"Hey... Did anyone see where Lord Richter went?" Subaru inquired.

The remaining boys looked at each other blankly.

Laito waved away their new found concern. "Don't worry. I'm on it."

* * *

><p>Reiji flipped through a thick reference book, translating ancient supernatural texts at an incredible speed.<p>

"I just need this to work," he muttered to himself, removing his glasses to squint with ease. He took off one of the gloves and pinched the bridge of his nose with his bare fingers, sighing under the pressure of their current situation.

Reiji only allowed himself to display such weakness for a few, brief seconds before straightening up and returning to his weighty task. After all, he was the only one who could find the solution to their dilemma - the only one who could bring Yuuki back to life. A single mistake could be fatal. Such was his responsibility.

Books and papers were strewn all over the laboratory, starkly unlike his usually neat personality...

Reiji would never admit the discrepancy to any living - or nonliving - being.

* * *

><p>Unable to bear the tension that made indoors absolutely suffocating, Subaru allowed himself to flee elsewhere. His older brothers didn't try to stop him. They must have known that he was useless now.<p>

The vampire stood in the spot where he had almost completely opened up to Yuuki when she had been plagued by the visions of the past.

_God._ Why didn't he realize it back then?

Even out in the crisp night air, he had trouble breathing calmly. A sense of guilt choked him and refused loosen its hold. Yuuki tried to kill herself and it was all his fault. He didn't know how to protect anything. He only knew how to destroy whatever came within his reach.

The vampire looked down at the bloodied knife in his hands. He seemed shocked that he was still carrying the wretched weapon on his person.

"Damn it!" Subaru cursed loudly, taking his frustration out on the rose in front of him.

The pure, white flower fell apart as he sliced it in half in one, angry movement. He became increasingly upset when he noticed that the petals scattered innocently as they drifted to the cold, hard ground.

Another unnecessary death.

And yet, the night continued to wear on under a set of uncaring stars.

Eventually, his uncle made it to the hidden room behind the bookshelves. His blood had completely soaked through his clothes and dripped down his now-trembling legs. Richter descended onto his knees in front of Cordelia's equally ruined dress.

He smiled grimly. Although he had made a few taxing blunders, victory would still be his. So what if the Daughter of the Demon Lord failed to become a vampire to join him in everlasting triumph? He would not let all his work go to waste.

"I just need this." Lord Richter groaned, reaching out for the stained rose with considerable effort.

"So _this_ is where you've been hiding her dress," Laito mused aloud. Richter's hand paused in the air.

The nephew held up a lantern with a brilliant green flame.

"I had no idea whatsoever."

* * *

><p>"We should clean this." Ayato grumbled as he carefully tore the top part of the dress away from the wound itself. "Actually, go fetch me a new set of clothes and a tub of water and a washcloth. She's still dirty from the lake."<p>

"Are you planning to bathe her?"

"Don't give me that look - I'm not trying to be nasty here." The youngest triplet replied as he removed the red hair accessory from her blonde locks. "Don't forget that she's human."

Shu and Kanato didn't bother to correct him. They fetched a maid, who promptly attended to the corpse-like girl. Ayato kicked the pair out and refused to allow anyone else in the room until Yuuki was dignified and spent the long, uneasy moments trying to help out as best as he could.

It was almost like washing the deceased. It took a lot of courage.

Kanato returned to the sitting room and offered one of his wedding dresses as a substitute for the ruined, black one. It was a simple piece with a sweetheart neckline and a slender white silhouette.

Shu raised one of his eyebrows when he saw it.

"It's fitting." Kanato explained quietly. "Regardless of the outcome."

Again, they waited outside the door until Ayato himself emerged. After a couple minutes, the maid excused herself and the three entered the room to find Yuuki in the same position that they had first left her but looking clean, pure, and... dead.

Ayato immediately fluttered to her side. If the situation wasn't so dire, his unusually soft behavior was almost cutely amusing.

Yuuki gasped when he tenderly poked her injury.

"That looks really painful." Kanato noted.

"Oi, pancake, wake up."

"What's going on with her?" Subaru asked from the other end of the room, inching toward the circle. In the end, his anxiety pulled him back inside.

"The Awakening has probably already started." Shu replied bitterly. "The question now is whether or not she'll survive."

"There is no precedent for an ordinary mortal to awaken with the power of a vampire, right?" Kanato's wide eyes surveyed the others.

"Yeah," Shu responded, "because no human could withstand the process."

Although he didn't show it outwardly, Shu's stomach was churning up with concern. This would be the second human that would die because of his powerlessness.

"_Human's are weak,_" he thought dejectedly.

Shu never noticed that he had begun to care for the girl. It had simply happened without his knowledge...

No, that wasn't quite right. He had craved her friendship ever since she had come to live with them - a desire that had ultimately stirred his sympathy for this utterly fragile and breakable creature.

"But it's different this time..." Ayato grimaced, "Yuuki has that woman's heart in her."

The three brothers regarded the boy with pity and decided to suppress any form of skepticism they harbored. Ayato might have said it simply because he needed something positive to hope for.

If Yuuki didn't return, he'd be forced to kill the adulteress with his own hands, this time in Yuuki's skin.

* * *

><p>"Now I get why you keep showing up at our house. You must of been the one to break the seal, right?" Laito continued back in the hidden room. "You should really move away while you still can. I understand that dress is an extremely dangerous object."<p>

Richter made no response. Instead, his frown deepened.

"You look like you're wondering why I know that." The nephew chuckled. "Well, you bothered to retrieve it in the first place, and considering the fact that it's drenched with the blood of the Sacrificial Bride-"

"So you've figured out that little puzzle, have you? Congratulations. My faith in your limited intelligence has been temporarily restored."

"Hah. You clearly underestimate us. And you must've been _so_ pleased with yourself, Uncle. I must commend you on how thoroughly you manipulated that woman..." Laito chatted with an easy manner as if they were simply gossiping over brunch.

"What are you getting at, boy? Don't waste my time with such trivial matters."

"Trivial? Hardly. You betrayed my first love." He readjusted his fedora. "Tell me - were you planning to revolt against the Vampire King once you got your hands on the power of the true sacrificial bride? What did you hope to achieve as the new head of the family?"

"Do you seriously believe I'd give up the truth to a dreg like you?" Richter spat back. "It's not as simple as you think."

Laito's smile never faltered. It was the same expression he wore when he had supposedly saved his mother.

* * *

><p>"Isn't there anything else we can do?" Ayato demanded for the umpteenth time.<p>

"There is, but the remedy still incomplete." Reiji answered, entering the room with a small bottle in his hand.

"It's unusual for you to come forward with an unfinished product," one of the brothers commented.

"What would complete it?" Ayato hastily asked.

"I believe it needs a piece of the woman." Reiji stated.

"But there is nothing left of her to use." Subaru voiced, arms crossed against his chest. Despair penetrated the air.

"Actually," Kanato spoke up, "I have something." The purple-haired vampire tore off Teddy's head and removed a vial from the stuffing that fluffed out. "I don't need it anymore."

"Could this be-?" Reiji didn't finish the question.

He shook the dark, powdered contents of the vial around. It wasn't really surprising when he thought about it. Rather, if anyone had bothered to gather the left overs at all, it could have even been _expected_ of Kanato.

Reiji accepted the ashes gratefully. The liquid in his bottle changed from a muddy purple to a clear blue once he added the final ingredient. The vampire's countenance briefly relaxed into a rare smile.

Ayato mirrored the expression, "Did it do the trick?"

"We'll have to see about that."

"What do you mean?" Subaru asked with a low growl.

"This should kill Lady Cordelia once and for all. However, I have no idea if Miss Komori will come out alive - either in her original state or as a vampire. It depends on the stage of the Awakening, you see?" Reiji clutched the bottle and gazed down at their Sleeping Beauty.

"My question is whether or not you are willing to take a gamble..."

* * *

><p>The tables were turning to their advantage. On both fronts.<p>

"Let me set the record straight, Lord Richter." Laito declared. "I will never let you or our mother run over our lives again. This will be your permanent end."

He tossed his lantern at his uncle, who was stationed protectively in front of the ruined gown. The glass shattered on the hardwood floor and an inferno quickly engulfed the room. These enchanted flames could burn a vampire alive.

Richter, unable to move because of his wounds, recognized that his doom had finally come. The elder vampire licked his lips but made no comment as the smoke around him thickened. He stole one last glance at the weapon, the dress, he had fought so hard to secure.

The bloodied rose burned up into a crisp before his stinging eyes, and fell off the mannequin. Never again would it be of any use.

Laito bid his farewell as he turned to leave. "Next time, I'll see you in hell."

* * *

><p>Ayato administered the remedy through a kiss - a continuation of the one that was interrupted beside the lake. A tiny stream of it fell out of the corner of Yuuki's still mouth.<p>

The rosy color quickly returned to her pale complexion.

"Yuuki," the vampire beside her called out softly.

Pink eyes blinked open slowly. "Ayato?"

He was exceedingly pleased that his name was the first thing that she uttered upon her return. "Yo."

"I'm alive?" Yuuki looked at her hand in surprise before pressing the heel of her palm to her forehead. "What am I doing here?"

Ayato leaned back with a happy grunt.

"You don't need to know that," he said in a half-teasing manner. Yuuki rolled her head to the side.

"You're all here," she observed.

All six brothers were indeed surrounding her. They breathed a collective sigh of relief. The remedy had worked. Hoorah!

The hole in her chest healed miraculously along with any other scars or marks or bruises on her body. Despite that fact, Ayato helped her sit up, his arm underneath her with his hand resting on her opposite shoulder. The warmth hadn't returned yet, the male vampire noted, but he was sure it was only a matter of time before everything returned to normal.

"How do you feel?" Ayato asked once she was upright. Yuuki seemed dazed as she studied his face.

"... I'm thirsty."

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** _Wait, what? That was the end? _

Yes, that's where I'm leaving off. Their monologues after this point had effectively destroyed any character development.

So Yuuki is a vampire now. Cool. Sorry for such a choppy chapter. Erm. Yea...

Thank you for reading this fanfic. I had to re-watch the series in order to write this, and y'all probably know how I felt about _that _^,^' Although my grammar has been less-than-pristine at times and the story lacked the atmosphere that the music and animation created, I think my minor edits were pretty seamless most of the time to a point where it's fairly hard to see them unless you had JUST watched the anime. Which is totally fine with me since this was intended for those already familiar with the original material... I do hope you enjoyed the more significant changes I made to the plot or the characters' behavior, like the fact that Ayato is much more playful and gentle than his sadistic canon counterpart.

If you happen to have any suggestions about something I might have done differently, please let me know. I'll be happy to go back and fix things that I missed the first few times and I love answering your questions.

**EDIT:** If you think this isn't a proper finale for the Diabolik Lovers storyline, feel free to head on over to my sequel called "Rebirth"

Be warned - I cannot guarantee that any of that content is good =3=


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